Scarlet Exarch
by Zinc210
Summary: A 15 year old girl from Azalea Town and her Pokemon companion root for a friend participating in the Johto League, but a certain organization gets them involved in something a bit more... legendary... OC story
1. Chapter 1 It starts in Azalea

Ah, so here is my fan-fic taking place in the Pokémon universe. The length it will be is undetermined, but it may end up being pretty long. I'm no expert writer, but I try my best and greatly appreciated anyone's thoughts, criticism, and advice for my story so I can improve. I'm trying lots of stuff out, so things might end up weird but I dunno… Hope you enjoy nonetheless!

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"So you have three badges already?" Jamie asked.

"Eeyup! I have the ones from Violet, Goldenrod, and Ecruteak Cities," responded the blonde, shaggy haired boy. He has bright green eyes, and sported a green headband. "I wish you were here though."

"Yeah… but, Anthony, you know I don't like traveling much. I'm a homebody."

"But, Jamie, you seem to like going out and walking through Azalea town and the forest"

"Yeah, but that's just in town and the forest is more or less part of it. Plus, I'd get too homesick if I left Azalea," she said. Anthony nodded understandingly. "Heeeeey, why didn't you pass through Azalea to fight Bugsy yet? Don't you have to go through here and Ilex forest to get from Violet to Goldenrod?" she blurted out. Her question caught Anthony off guard.

"Err…um… I can't really explain that right now," he said suspiciously, scratching his head.

"Oh really?" Jamie said sarcastically, narrowing her eyes at his suspicious response. She knew Anthony well enough to figure out that when he's scratching his head, he's usually lying. Suddenly, she hears angry voices from behind Anthony and sees an angry, black-haired trainer come up from behind him.

"Hey! There's a long line waiting to use the phone!" He said. Anthony looked behind him and saw about five other trainers behind the angry trainer.

"Whoops, my bad, I'll be a sec," he said while turning back to Jamie, "sorry, seems this is apparently the only working phone. I'll have to talk to you later"

"Aww, I wanted to hear about your gym battles!" she said, disappointed, "well, see ya later." Anthony smiled and waved goodbye on the monitor as it went black. Jamie sighed, got up from the seat in front of the phone and grabbed her favorite green hat with a yellow flower. It was a gift from Anthony a couple years back. She put it on with the visor in the back, like she usually wears it, and her bangs come out the hole above the adjuster. She walked towards the kitchen, where her mom was washing dishes. On the way, she passes by a photo in the hallway with a boy around her age, fifteen, with jet black hair and glasses. On his shoulder was a smiling little girl with brown hair, a younger Jamie. In the corner of the kitchen lay a sleeping Mightyena.

"So, how's Anthony doing on his journey for the Johto League?" her mother asked casually, not turning away from the dishes. Jamie picked up a banana from a bowl of fruit, and started peeling it. Jamie didn't look too much like her mother, except that they had the same bright, blue eyes. Jamie had long, soft, brown hair, while her mothers' was black and full of bouncy curls.

"He's doing well. He has three badges already!"

"Wow, great progress! It's only been two months since he left. When are the league championships starting?"

"Um, I think it's in another year or so. But I really wish he'd come back down…"

She says with a sad look on a face. She takes a bite of her banana.

"Oh, you really miss him, huh?"

"It's so boring without him! It gets lonely, especially, since Bugsy is too busy with constant Gym battles, and when he's not battling, he's preparing for even more gym battles," Jamie sighs, folding her arms and leaning against the counter besides her mother.

"What about your other friends?"

"What other friends?" Jamie looked at her a bit confused.

"Those girly girls that usually come and see you."

"Man, I don't know if I can call all of them friends. We're too different."

"Oh really?" Her mother says skeptically, while putting away another dish.

"Yeah, all they talk about is other boys and all that other air head girl stuff."

"And you don't?" her mother interjects.

"Nope," she responds bluntly.

"Wow, you're a weirdo." There was a short silence, and the sleeping Mightyena let out a yawn before turning over in its sleep.

"Excuse me?" Jamie asked, half offended. Her mother giggled at her response.

"Most girls around your age are usually boy crazy."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," she murmured as she rose from her leaning position.

"I guess I'll just go for another walk," Jamie laments as she finishes off the banana and tosses its peel into the garbage, "I need to go see Bugsy anyway." She grabs her knapsack that holds her pokéballs and a few other possessions and heads towards the door. Before exiting, she noticed something strange on the small table near the door. She took a couple steps backwards to see what it was. She raised an eyebrow to see that it was a book. She picked it up, turning it over and examining it closely. It looked pretty old judging from the color of the pages and the intriguing markings on the cover. Whatever it was, it could be an interesting read, so she placed it in her bag and continued out the door.

Her mother turns around, and watches Jamie walk out. A worried look appears across her face, as if she had a premonition that something was going to happen. She had this same exact feeling when _he_ left home, but she shrugs it off as nothing. Jamie wasn't one to get into trouble.

Jamie walks down the main street of Azaela, with her hands behind her head. She sighs to herself, then looks up to the cloudless sky. She sighs again, throws her arms up, then suddenly lets out an agitated grunt as she sits down on a nearby bench outside the pokémart. She put her head in her hands. POOF! A blue light erupts from her knapsack and starts taking form. It's Jamie's Scizor, whom she nicknamed Samantha.

"Scizor?" She says, with a look of concern on her face.

"Naw, I'm okay Sammy," she turns to look at her Pokémon, who's now giving her a sarcastic look that's saying, 'yeah, right…' "Okay, okay, I am a little down today…" she admitted. Samantha plops down on the bench next to her master. "I just feel that… maybe I _should _have gone with Anthony. The town seems so empty without him." Her eyes sadden as she continues, "it's just that… when _he _left home those many years ago, it was the last time I saw him… I guess I'm just scared that the same would happen to me."

Samantha knew exactly what she meant. Memories of _him_ always caused Jamie to become sad. She raises a claw and tries to comfort her friend, but before the first syllable of her name got out, they hear a high pitched, and slightly annoying, voice.

"Heeeeeey It's Jamie!" Jamie and Samantha raise their heads and saw the girl calling out. She was waving her hand as she ran up to Jamie, followed by two other girls. The trio ran towards them as they both rose from the bench. The one who had called out to them had long, flowing, blonde hair and blue eyes. To her right, was a girl with short, straight, black hair and hazel eyes. The third had a dark skinned complexion, and her black hair was long and woven into countless, tight braids. They were Marie, Gracie, and Franlina, respectively, and the first two were the air headed girls that were spoken of earlier in the conversation with Jamie's mother. All three of them were clad in stylish attire. Marie wore a pink blouse with an equally pink short skirt. Gracie wore some short jean shorts and wore a pale yellow top. Franlina was wearing jeans that exposed her ankles and a light blue shirt that exposed her midriff.

"Fine, I guess," Jamie answers. She waves to Franlina who in turn beams a friendly smile.

"Anything new?" Franlina asks, still smiling. Before Jamie gets a chance to respond, Marie butts in.

"Ugh, why must you always dress so plainly!" she says, pointing to Jamie's blank tee shirt and blue jeans, "I mean, you have the face. If you just dress the part, you can be a real boy magnet, like me!" Marie strikes a pose, which seems to catch the attention of two passing boys. Samantha rolls her eyes. "Weeeell, not quite like me. You need to graduate to the next bra size." Jamie gasped in astonishment, then her face turned red in anger as Gracie starts to giggle. The nerve! It's not like she was flat or anything!

"Seriously!" the vain teenager continued, "Your eyes are gorgeous and yet, you don't seem to round out your other, ahem, features to catch the boys." It was true, Jamie's blue eyes were much talked about. Their brightness and blueness mesmerized many boys she made eye contact with, and net her the "Best Eyes" photo in last year's yearbook.

"Uhmm, sooo you have anything planned? If not, we can go see a movie or something," Franlina says, trying to calm Jamie down before she beats down Marie like an enraged pack of Primeape. Marie walks past Samantha and enters the Pokémart, followed by Gracie.

"We're going to pick up some lip gloss," she says before disappearing inside. The Scizor sticks out her tongue at the girls behind their backs. Franlina turns back to Jamie, who's calmed down a bit now.

"Hey Jamie, let's go walk for a bit." She suggested.

"What about Marie and Gracie?"

"Eh, they'll be fine. Come on."

"Wow, so three of them already?" Franlina says, somewhat astonished.

"Yep, from Violet, Ecruteak, and Goldenrod," Jamie responds, looking up at the sky as she walks, Samantha trotting carelessly not too far behind, adrift in her own world.

"Hm? That's strange, don't you have to pass by Azalea to get to from Violet to Goldenrod?"

"That's what I asked him. He was kinda suspicious and didn't answer, though."

"Ah, I see." Franlina looks at Jamie face. She seemed so distant throughout the conversation. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Huh? Oh nothing," Jamie says, her eyes glancing at Franlina for a split second then returning to the sky. Franlina sighs; already sure that something is, indeed, bothering Jamie. As they walk down the road, a young boy around their age passes by.

"Oooh, he was pretty cute!" Franlina comments, looking behind her at the boy's physique and head of short blonde hair.

"Meh."

"Oh? Not impressed are you?" Franlina says, giggling, "You don't seem to show interest in anyone. What's up with that? If you ask me..." Jamie seems to drift off in another world as Franlina suddenly starts describing many of the boys in Azalea and what makes them cute and attractive. When she mentioned Anthony, Jamie jolted to attention. Franlina noticed and formed a mischievous smirk on her face. "What's this? Showing a bit of interest now?" Jamie quickly turned away, hiding her blushing face. "I knew that's what was going on. That explains your not caring for all the other _options_ walking around Azalea." Franlina sings, spinning on one foot. Jamie blushed even redder.

Franlina was a smart cookie, often reading people's emotions and feelings through body language. It didn't help that the two were good friends from ages seven to ten. Franlina already knew how to read her like a book before they drifted apart due to the development of different interests and hobbies. Though they still talked and got together on various occasions.

"Okay, okay, you caught me," Jamie said, staring at the ground as she walked, "he's my best friend, and crushes aside," she turned and flashed a smile, "He's always been more of a brother to me, and that's always been more than I can ask for." Franlina smiled back and chuckled a bit. "It's just been so boring and lonely without him here."

"If you say so," Franlina mumbled, rolling her eyes.

"Think what you want."

Jamie has always had mixed feelings. Things were fine for a while, but things got more complicated as time passed. Anthony, for the past seven years has been her best friend. He was also just like an older brother, and he filled the role flawlessly. Yes… just like _him_. The two had so much in common it was somewhat uncanny. Come to think of it, it was somewhat as if she met Anthony through _him. _Jamie took a breath and shook away the memories as she felt herself growing sad.

When Jamie and Anthony hang out together, which is more often than not, many people assume they are a couple. Everything always felt so perfect when she was with him and she could tell him anything. Was that true love, or was it love that a sibling has for another? She didn't know for sure, but she loved the feeling either way.

Samantha smiles. She's happy that her trainer is at least able to share feelings a bit. Jamie's been very good at hiding her feelings, but Samantha was able to figure her out eventually. As a Pokémon, she is a bit more in tune with the emotions of her trainer. Suddenly, somethine snaps her back to reality and turns her attention towards an alleyway. "Scizor…?" she murmured.

"Huh? What's the matter Sammy?" Jamie asks, noticing that she had stopped. Suddenly, Jamie saw a shadowy figure at the end of the ally look around, then disappear into the nearby forest.

"Scizor Sci Scizor!" Samantha said. Franlina stops walking after noticing the other two lagging behind.

"Hmmm, Samantha has a bad feeling about that person."

"Really? How can you tell?" Franlina asks.

"I've always could," she replied. "Let's go check it out." Samantha reveals her large, transparent wings and dashes into the alley, with the other two girls running after her. Something was definitely not right.

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They track the figure into the Ilex forest for about three minutes. It was the early afternoon, but the thickness of the forest blotted out most traces of sunlight, making the path they were following eerily gloomy. Samantha stops and lands behind a bush, signaling to the other two girls to hide as well. The three peer ahead and notice a small clearing. In the clearing stood two individuals, a male and female, dressed in gray attire with a large, red letter on the back. It was the letter, "R." Their attire had long coat-tails, which made them look like scientists. They were standing in front of a strange looking device and seemed to be discussing something.

"Is everything ready to go?" the women asked. She turned around and the trio got a glance of her face. She was somewhat pale, had long, black hair with short bangs that shined in the little sunlight creeping through the branches, and a pair of striking eyes. Her face had beautiful features, but those lavender eyes she possessed exuded coldness and cruelty, sending a chill down Jamie's spine.

"Yes, everything checks out. You can activate it," the man said. He was tall, and athletically built. His hair was a light brown and somewhat short and spiky. His eyes were hazel, and seemed to gleam with confidence and determination.

"Uh-oh," Jamie whispered.

"Who are they?" Franlina asked.

"Judging from their uniforms, members of team Rocket."

"Hmph, looks like they're up to something." She murmured, turning her attention back to the duo. Samantha's eyes narrowed as a she felt something bad was going to happen.

The woman approached the left side of the machine and opened a control panel. "Initiating Insect Motor Disruptor!" she said, pressing a couple switches and pulling a lever. The machine opened up and a pair of antenna extended outwards. The Machine itself stood twice as tall as the woman, and was wide as a dining room table that could seat a family of four. The girls gasped, afraid of what was going to happen next. Within seconds, the machine started resonating and a strange sound reverberated throughout the entire Ilex forest.

"What is that…" Franlina whispered to herself.

"I don't know, but it's hurting Samantha!" Franlina turned and saw Samantha fall to her knees in pain and breathing heavily. Jamie ran over to catch her before the Pokémon fell to the ground. "We have to stop that thing!"

Thinking fast, Franlina pulled out a pokéball from her purse, stood up and tossed it towards the machine. "Annie! Thundershock!" she yells, as the pokébll bursts open and in a flash of light, a Pichu appears.

"Piiiiii chuuuuu!!" it yells, as small streaks of electricity blasted from its body towards the machine.

"What on earth!?" the woman exclaims as the electricity surges through the machine.

"Look out!" the man yells as he dives to grab the woman out of the radius of the ensuing explosion. The ground shook for a split second as the machine burst into flames and stopped the infernal noise. At that moment, Franlina's Pichu collapses on the floor.

"Nice work Annie! Return!" she says as the beam of light returns the fainted Pichu into the safety of its pokéball, "sorry for making you have to do this," she says apologetically to the pokéball.

"H-how dare you! I spent months designing that machine, only to have it destroyed by some prissy little girl!" The woman was enraged. As she stood up, she withdrew a pokéball and tossed it. "Spike Cannon!" The pokéball burst open and a purple shelled Pokémon with an evil grin and piercing eyes appeared.

"Cloyster!" it gurgled from between the shell halves, as the horn just above the center glew white and shot out spikes towards Franlina.

"Oh Crap!" she shrieks. The shards were heading right toward her, but a red blur shot in front of her and deflected them with ease. It was Samantha, who seemed to have made a swift recovery from the machine's effects. The woman grinded her teeth in frustration as Jamie ran from out of the bushes to Franlina's side.

"What do you two think you're doing!?" Jamie yells. Her heart begins to race after she realized what she just did.

"Seems like a plan typical of Team Rocket's goons," Franlina comments.

"Looks like she's not alone," the man said, rising from the ground.

"Let's get these brats out of the way. Goals have yet to be met," the woman commanded impatiently.

"No problem," said her partner rather nonchalantly, "Come! Skarmory!" He threw a pokéball and a shining, silvery bird with a helmet-like horn on its head burst from it.

The girls knew they were in for a battle, but Franlina was worried. "Jamie, Annie is out of commission! It can't help fight!"

"Don't worry Fran," Jamie says, taking a deep breath and pulling a pokéball from her knapsack, "you run to get officer Jenny. I'll stall these two."

"Be careful," she said, as she ran towards town. She looks back as she runs, and sees Jamie poised for battle, ready to stop the intruders anyway possible.

"She thinks she can take both of us," the woman says arrogantly. The man just nods.

Jamie breaks into a sweat as she eyes both the Skarmory and Cloyster. "Okay, these guys look tough, but if we can't beat them, I just have to stall until Fran comes back with help," she thinks to herself. Samantha crouches down into a battle stance, her yellow eyes glowing with focus. "Alright! Come out Core!" Jamie yells, as the pokéball opens and the light reveals a strange, red rock with several holes. Shortly, four yellow worm-like appendages come out of the bottom of the rock; two in front, two in back, followed by a fifth one with two beady eyes out of the upper hole.

"Shuckle," It says lazily.

"Focus, Core! We're in a battle!" The Shuckle heeds its trainer and turns toward the opposition, and after seeing them, it seems to transition into a more serious mood.

"Let's see we have a Scizor, and a Shuckle," the man says.

"Child's play," the woman says coldly, "Ice Beam." The Cloyster opens its shell, revealing the black pearl that is its face before shooting a blue bolt towards Jamie's side.

"Watchout!" Jamie yells. Samantha disappears in a red blur and Core withdraws into its shell as the blue bolt strikes the earth, flinging Core into the air. "Rollout!" she yells while it is still airborne. The red rock begins to spin, and right when it touches the ground, it zooms forward towards the Cloyster.

"Withdraw!" the woman yells, surprised that a mere Shuckle could move at such speed, and the bivalve Pokémon quickly closes its shell. The rolling Core strikes the closed Cloyster, causing little to no damage.

"Skarmory, take out the girl," the man commands with the same monotone voice. The metal bird screeches as it opens its bladed wings, revealing the striking crimson interior, and darts toward Jamie.

"Sam, Metal Claw!" she says, realizing the threat to her own safety. Samantha darts toward the Skarmory. "Aaaah!, hurry!" she screams cringing from the possible impact from the avian. She closes her eyes and hears the clash of two metallic bodies and a slight crackling that sounded like electricity. She opens her eyes and sighs in relief when she sees that the Skarmory has been intercepted by her Scizor, its beak clamped tightly in its right claw, now glowing a faint white, and sending surges of energy through the Skarmory.

"Sciiii-zor!" Samantha yells as she tosses the Skarmory into the air. The bird flips a few times before recovering its balance.

"That was a close one!" she says, Samantha nodding in agreement. She was amazed that they considered her a fair target in this match! These guys are dangerous. Jamie turns to see that Core had turned around from the deflection of its attack, "Keep going Core!" It creates a dust cloud as it makes a U-turn and speeds toward the Cloyster at a greater velocity. It rams it again, with still no effect. The woman smirks at the feeble attempts at breaching her Cloyster's defense.

"Be careful," the man warns, "the rollout attack will grow in power as it keeps up."

"Yes, yes, I'm aware of that," she responds, irritated by the fact that he felt the need to tell her this. She was already thinking of a plan to stop the speeding Shuckle.

Jamie turns her attention towards the Skarmory, who had been hovering in place. She was inexperienced at double battles, so it was hard for her to keep up. Heck, she was inexperienced at battles period. She never really battled anyone else besides Bugsy and Anthony, and much of the battling was done by her Pokémon without much guidance from her. A bead of sweat forms and falls down Jamie's face. Crap, this is a fine pickle she's gotten herself into… Samantha, glances back at her, sensing her uneasiness.

"Scizor!" she says, raising one of her claws to reassure her trainer.

"You think you can handle it on your own? Okay, go ahead," Jamie said, trusting in her friend. Samantha jumped forward to where she was nearly under the Skarmory.

"I have the advantage. Scizor are incapable of flight, so Skarmory's aerial agility and tactics will overwhelm it." The man thought, closely observing the crimson mantis. His eyes widened as he saw the Scizor's wings unsheathe. They were slightly larger than most Scizor. In a flash, it leaps directly upward and slams one of its massive claws against the enemy Skarmory. It screeched in pain and was just as surprised as its trainer. He stared towards the sky as he saw the Scizor start flying back towards the Skarmory as if it were still a Scyther! "Agility!" he yelled, and the Skarmory disappeared before being struck again. The Scizor stopped mid attack and hovered in place, directing its attention towards its opponent in its new location.

"Interesting. This girl's Pokémon are full of surprises; a flying Scizor, and a fast moving Shuckle," said the woman to her partner.

"They will make excellent additions." The man replied. Jamie overheard them, and grew furious. There was no way in hell they were taking Core and Samantha!

"Core, keep going! You can break its defense!" she cheered. The Shuckle was still increasing in speed as it turned and rammed the Cloyster over and over. The speed had reached a point where each impact was pushing the Cloyster back several inches.

"That's enough fooling around, Ice Beam!" the woman commanded. The cloister opened once again, and fired another blue bolt towards Core.

"Watch for the beam!" Core starts to speed around the Cloyster as it dodges the freezing ray. It runs full circle around the clam, who is now surrounded by a wall of ice from its misguided ice attack. The Cloyster looked around, but didn't see any sign of the Shuckle through the translucent shards.

Crash! Plowing through the ice wall behind the Cloyster came Core, who strikes it head on.

"Cloooooy!" it yelps as it flies through the adjacent ice wall, landing on its side.

"All right!" Jamie yelled, raising a fist in triumph. She smiled thinking that they just may win this battle, but she looked at the woman and was puzzled. She didn't show any reaction to Jamie's successful offense, despite it being an effective rock-type move on her ice type. She knew she had to finish this quickly. "Core! Once more!" Core, still at full speed, rushes toward the dazed Cloyster. The woman just stood there.

"Skarmory, Air Cutter," the man commands. The metallic bird flaps its wings several times, releasing blades of wind in Samantha's direction. She starts to spin in place, her sheer rotation speed deflecting each and every blade. "Swords Dance, it seems…" the rocket member observes. Directly after blocking the blades, she ends her spin with a forceful swipe of her claw, firing a larger Air Slash attack towards the Skarmory. It flies upwards in the nick of time to evade it. "Now, Aerial Ace!"

Jamie hears this command, and knows it's near impossible to dodge. "Samantha! Use the new Swords Dance technique we've been trying!" Samantha nods, and dashes upwards towards the Skarmory, beating her wings at full speed. She starts to spiral as she flies head on, initiating a Swords Dance in combination with her flying speed. From afar it appears as if the Scizor had become a flying drill! The Skarmory is diving at maximum speed, heading straight for Samantha. The two collide with such force, the leaves in the trees rustle as if hit by a sudden gust of wind, and both Pokémon are knocked out of their attacks and fall to the ground.

"Amazing, this Scizor is no doubt powerful," the man said in awe of what just happened. The two Pokémon slowly rose to their feet, bruised. Samantha buzzed her wings and lunged forward, both claws glowing white and surrounded with the same energy as before. Before the Skarmory could react, it was being assaulted by a flurry of blows from the Scizor, each hit sounding like a sledge hammer to a truck. Within seconds the Skarmory was on the ground, unconscious. The Scizor turned around and stared with fierce eyes towards the rocket member, claws still crackling. The man stared back in intrigue, then grabs another Pokéball and tosses it. In a flash of light three floating orbs with one eye each, and several magnets surrounding comes to form, buzzing and emitting sparks of electricity.

"Magneton, Zap Cannon!" All six of the Pokémon's magnet's aim forward and electricity starts gathering in the center, creating a concentrated orb of purple and white energy. With a bang, the orb is fired directly at Samantha. She leaps straight up, the orb exploding where she once stood and kicking up a huge cloud of dust. The Scizor was engulfed in the cloud, unable to see anything. Before she knew it, a blast of electricity erupted from below and surged through her. Every nerve in her body was wringing with pain as the electricity passed through her metallic form. The attack ended, and the Scizor succumbed to the paralyzing effect of the Thunderbolt and fell to the ground, limp, as the dust cleared.

"Sammy!" Jamie yelled, scared that her friend was badly hurt. Core was rolling at maximum speed towards the collapsed Cloyster. With that much speed, it would surely finish it off. The woman saw this as the perfect opportunity since its trainer was distracted.

"Water Pulse!" she commanded. The Cloyster, with a glowing blue orb of focused water forming in front of it, spun on its side until it was facing the charging Shuckle. It fires straight at it. Jamie turned her attention back to the battle between the shelled Pokémon and saw the force that the orbed was launched. She bit her lip, worried that the attack would take out Core with no problem.

The Water Pulse and Core strike one another, and within a second, the orb explodes in a wave of water. The explosion throws Core off balance, and flings him straight toward Jamie! Before she could react, her own Pokémon's attack slammed right into her chest. An unimaginable pain overcomes her as she fell to the ground, motionless. She struggles to keep her eyes open, and she sees two blurry figures walk over to her as everything goes dark...


	2. Chapter 2 Dawn of a Sinister Experiment

Next part! I'd really like to hear what you readers think of my story (I know people are looking... I pay attention to the traffic thingy!) cant get better without criticism and cant continue without encouragment! And for those of you more interested in my _other_ fic... I will try to continue that one. Honestly, I wanted to continue but I've been preoccupied with other matters... this story in particular... hehehe.

Note: Anything in parenthesis (like this) is Pokemon speak. Yes, we know what the Pokemon are saying cause we're special like that, and the humans in the story are most definitely not. har. If you feel there is a better way to differentiate pokemon-speak from normal speech, do not hesitate to suggest it!

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Jamie slowly wakes up to a loud, banging sound that keeps repeating. She coughs as she feels a pang of pain resonating from her chest. She tries to move her legs to get up from what seems like a chair, but she is unable to lift them. Now her arms. No such luck. She opens her eyes, her vision starting out blurry, then slowly becoming clear. The room was dark, with a dim source of light. The banging soon ceases, then starts up again. Jamie weakly turns her head towards the source, and her eyes widen in surprise as she saw three cylindrical containers, two of which contained Core, withdrawn into his shell, and Samantha. The other contained another Pokémon that she was unfamiliar with. It was a pale yellow, and resembled something like a small dinosaur. It had long neck surrounded by green buds and a large leaf growing out of its forehead and drooping towards the ground. It was lying down, most likely asleep since Jamie could see its body move with each breath. The banging sound was Samantha, who was frantically pounding at the clear walls of her chamber, her yellow eyes full of anger and her body showing signs of her previous battle.

Jamie looks down, and sees that her arms and legs are bound by metal rings around her wrists and ankles. Suddenly, her strength leaves her and she falls into a deep sleep once more.

(Damn it!) Samantha yells, gritting her teeth. She swings her claw at the wall of her prison in another feeble attempt to break through, (what are these things made of?!) Her body cringes in pain, (ugh, I can still feel the effects of that Thunderbolt attack…)

(Whatever it is, you can't break it.) The Shuckle reveals his head and two forelegs. He presses his legs against the clear wall. (Save your energy, you don't want to collapse before we can do anything.) The Scizor, panting, sees Core's logic and nods in agreement. (We need to figure out how to get out of these to save Jamie.) With sad eyes, they both look at their trainer, unconscious in the metal chair that she is shackled to.

(I wouldn't get your hopes up.) They both turned to their right, and notice the yellow, dinosaur-like Pokémon. It lifts its head, and opens its eyes, which were full of despair and showed many days of mourning. (There isn't anything you can do against these containers,) it said again with its tired voice before laying its head back down. A Bayleef they both thought. The Scizor and Shuckle glance at each other then back to the grass type.

(How long, have you been here?) Samantha worked up the nerve to ask.

(Who knows. I've lost track. I haven't seen daylight since I've been captured.) That was evident in the coloration of the buds around her neck and her head-leaf. They all had tinges of brown at the tips and around the edges.

(Do you have any clue why they've captured us?) Core asks, tilting his worm-like head in curiosity.

(Horrible things,) she replies bluntly. Core and Samantha turn to each other again, then back to the Bayleef. Before either of them say another word, the Bayleef continues, (I guess it would be fair to tell you what _kind_ of horrible things, hm?) They both nod, anxious of what she'll say next. (Well, since I've been here, that…_woman _has injected all kind of foreign things into my body.) Then for the next few days she watches to see what they do, making little marks in that accursed clipboard of hers,) her eyes suddenly filled with anger, then with sadness. (But…) she hesitated, and looked forward outside of her chamber, (that was nothing compared to what they did to him.)

(Him?) the two thought simultaneously. They looked forward in the same direction as the Bayleef. On the other side of the large room beyond Jamie, they could make out another chamber in the darkness which, unlike theirs, had no light source above it. Inside of it, was the body of a Pokémon that they couldn't quite make out.

(Who is that?) Samantha asks. The Bayleef looks at the other two, then turns her head back towards the dark chamber and takes a deep breath.

(My best friend.) The two grew frightened as the Bayleef continued her story, (Whatever was experimented on me was done to him thrice fold. Since we were captured, we haven't been able to get near to each other, or speak to each other for that matter. Day after day, I had to watch him suffer, to watch his flame slowly flicker away. There was nothing I could do.) She turned and saw that Samantha had cringed again from the paralysis of her recent battle, (that is, until I learned Aromatherapy.) She weakly lifted the leaf on her head, and started waving it.

(Oh no! I'm fine, you don't need to trouble yourself. Besides, how will it get to me from your chamber?) she lies, waving her claw to dismiss it as nothing.

(No it's fine,) the Bayleef insisted. Within seconds, a sweet aroma poured in from the ventilation from the ceiling of Samantha's chamber. She took a deep breath, and found her strength returning to her!

(I see, so the air ways are connected?) Core deducted. The grass-type nodded.

(I was tired of watching him lay in that chamber in pain and wished so much to help him. That wish was granted, but when my scent reached him in that other chamber, I only saw him smile, the first time since we were captured, then his flame flickered into nothingness…) she closed her eyes, (but it wasn't soon enough.)

Then it hit Core. He looked at the other chamber and squinted his beady eyes. The figure took more form, and it seemed to be more lizard-like. (A… Charmeleon?)

(Oh no…) Samantha said, bringing her claws to her mouth, growing sad now that she realized that the Bayleef's friend had perished. Suddenly, visions of this possible future of Jamie, Core, and herself suddenly poured into her mind. She fell to her knees, and just stared ahead at her Jamie, tears beginning to stream down her face as terror filled her body.

Time went by slowly and painfully, Core and Samantha thinking of any possible way to escape, with their possible demises popping in and out of their thoughts.

(Gah! This is driving me crazy!) Samantha roared, throwing her claws into the air before falling backwards on her back. She lay there staring at the ventilation system above her. Earlier, she had tried breaking through there, only succeeding in making a powerful racket that echoed through the three Pokémon's chambers and causing their ears to ring.

(Hush hush!) Core commanded, (I hear footsteps…) Samantha rose to her feet and watched as two dark figures appeared from the shadowy doorway adjacent to the chamber that held their prison-mate's late friend.

"The Pokémon will be of use, but what will she do with the girl?" the shorter of the figures inquired.

"She plans on using her as guinea pig to test another of her experiments," the other replied with a tone familiar to them. As the figure walked past Jamie and drew closer to the chambers, the light revealed that the taller one was the man they had battled with earlier. "This Scizor, however, intrigues me…" He approached Samantha's chamber, and she lunged at him, slamming her claws at the impenetrable walls, and met his curious gaze with golden eyes full of hate. The man was not the least bit intimidated. "After a little breaking in, it will make an excellent addition to my steel type repertoire." That little comment threw her for a loop and her wings flared out of her back, flapping vigorously as if her anger had made her uncomfortably hot. She will never team up with that scum of a man or any Rocket goon for that manner. The man just smirked at her reaction.

"But Titus, sir… don't you think that experimenting on a human is going… too far?" the other one asked. The Rocket turned to his subordinate, then turned back to meet the eyes of the furious Scizor.

"I do not question what Brooke does." The subordinate was baffled by his answer. "My only objective is to keep my eye on her…" Samantha reared back when he said this. The change in his eyes had startled her. What was once focused and emotionless was now soft and showing genuine concern. "Ever since that day, something's been… off about her…"

"Whatever do you mean?"

"Brooke has always had her ambitions. That has never changed." The subordinated nodded to his statement. "But several years ago, we stumbled upon a grotto."

---

The cave was dark, and a thin, black mist hid the ground. As they entered, the two rocket members could make out a body of water that spanned half the room. The cave was unusually large, and the body of water resembled a lake.

"This cave intrigues me…" the woman told her partner. He just nodded while observing his surroundings.

"Brooke…"

"Hm?"

"Something is not right… We should take our leave." He suggested without changing his expression. It didn't show, but he was really getting a bad vibe from the place.

"Just give me a second…" She said as she bent down and picked up a stone that fit in the palm of her hand. It was pitch black. "I should take a sample for… for…" Before she could finish her sentence, she felt her strength leaving her. "Ah…" Her legs suddenly became too weak to bear her own weight. Titus' eyes widened at the state of his partner.

"Brooke!" he yelled running to catch her as she was about to fall. Before he could reach her, the mist engulfing the ground had sprung to life, enshrouding the falling Brooke. Titus backed off, covering his mouth with his arm, afraid that it was deadly to breathe. He watched as the mist spiraled about his partner, completely concealing her. Suddenly, the black fog seemed to have dissipated into the air, revealing an unharmed Brooke, standing as if nothing had happened. The stone, however, seemed different. It actually appeared to have become even _more_ black, if that was even possible. The mist on the ground was less abundant as well, he noticed.

"B…Brooke?" he stuttered, "Are you unharmed?"

"I'm fine. Let us continue on our way. There is nothing for us here," she said coldly as she turned towards the entrance. He watched her exit, before taking a quick glance around him. His eyes narrowed and his brow furrowed as he turned to follow his partner out.

------

"Let's just say something more sinister than team Rocket afoot." He said. The lackey nodded again, but found it hard to believe anything could be more sinister than them! They were the great team rocket after all.

Suddenly, another figure dressed in black with a gleaming red "R" on his shirt entered the room.

"Sir Titus, Professor Brooke wishes to see you." Titus nods and leaves with the subordinates back down the dark hallway from which they had come.

(That was weird…) Samantha said under her breath.

(Whazzat?) Core asked hearing her murmur.

(Oh, nothing…)

For the next few hours, she couldn't get the way that man, Titus, had looked at her out of her head. At first glance he seemed heartless, but that one instance showed something deeper that she couldn't quite put her finger…er, claw on. His story was definitely strange as well. Suddenly, Samantha and Core were startled by the cascade of light that flooded the room. They blinked and saw that the room they were in was full of medical instruments and various vials and beakers.

(Woah…) Core grimaced as he eyed a bin full of sharp needles. Shortly afterwards, the woman, now dressed in an open laboratory cloak that showed her rocket uniform underneath, entered. In her left hand was a clipboard with several sheets of paper. Following her were two men dressed in lab coats as well, one of them sporting a pair of thick glasses.

(It's that _vile _woman…) the Bayleef said with narrowed eyes. Samantha could feel the grief and anger in the words that were spoken. She paced around the unconscious Jamie, then over to the desk covered in instruments. She opened a drawer and rummaged through its contents until she withdrew a strange object that looked like a long strap with a thin tube connected to it. At the opposite end was a larger, bulb-shaped thing. Samantha examined it, trying to remember what it was. She'd definitely seen it before. The device was strapped around Jamie's arm, and the woman squeezed the bulb several times, causing the strap to inflate and the little hand on a small gauge to fluctuate. After jotting something down, she deflated the strap and took out another strange device, this time that went into her ears and had a round metallic disc at one end.

(A Stethoscope…) whispered Core. He had recalled seeing such a tool while watching television. Anxiety continued to build up in Jamie's Pokémon as they watched the woman perform test after test on their incapacitated trainer and jotting down whatever it was the tests yielded on her clipboard. The Bayleef was right… that clipboard _is_ infuriating. What the hell could she be writing? Finally, she walked over to another cabinet, setting her clipboard down on a desk. She reached into her lab coat pocket and pulled out a needle. The liquid inside of it was pitch black, and it emanated something that made the two Pokémon back up in fear. It was like it sucked up the light around it. Whatever it was, it was _not_ good…

(Yeah, there she goes again…) the two Pokémon turned as the Bayleef made this comment, (this is where the suffering begins.) Samantha gasped and her eyes filled with horror.

(No!) she screamed as she started pounding against glass once more. Core drooped his head. He figured it was his fault. He was the one who had knocked Jamie out back in Illex forest... If only he had avoided that stupid Water Pulse… The woman brought up the needle and was preparing to inject the liquid into Jamie's left arm, paying no mind to the Scizor's angry noise-making. The two men observing started whispering amongst one another.

"What is that?" one of them asked.

"I don't know, but… something is not right about it…"

"In case you _must_ know, it is the grounding of a special stone." Brooke interjected, causing both rocket scientist to stiffen. They obviously thought she couldn't hear them. She turned her head and the rockets met her fierce gaze.

"Stone?" they both inquired simultaneously.

"Yes… a stone that Titus and I discovered in a cave deep in a far off wasteland. When I found this stone, something spoke to me…" She hesitated for a moment, reminiscing no doubt, "but that's a story for another time." She grabbed Jamie's arm, located her vein, and injected the black liquid into her bloodstream. Samantha continued pounding on the transparent barrier that held her.

The Syringe was emptied. As the last miniscule drop was injected, Jamie's face showed an expression of pain as her body jerked forward. Her Pokémon nearly leapt out of their outer layers and the Bayleef just shook her head as if she's seen much of this already. There were many of them before her and her friend. Their fates were obvious by the lack of company in the room. They watched, still fear-stricken as Jamie's body relaxed again.

"Interesting. Take note of that reaction." She commanded calmly.

"Yes ma'am," one of the men responded, as they pulled out notepad and clicked a pen. He jot something down, then the three Rockets exited from whence they came, shutting off the lights. The woman closed her lab coat as she proceeded down the hallway.

"If the results do what I hypothesized, then I'll _surely_ be noticed by him…" she thought to herself. "I shall go down in history…"

-----

This one is noticeably shorter than the previous. This is because I was planning on the previous part to be chapters 1 and 2, but decided to upload them simultaneous. So you have actually read part 3 just now :D

Review and get some spicy pokeblocks!


	3. Chapter 3 Great Escape

Great Escape

D:

Awww no reviews… Oh well, it won't stop me from writing. Onwards to the next chapter!

--

Chapter 4

"Hey watch it!" a voice yelped from a vent in a brightly lit hallway. It was unusually clean, reminiscent of a hospital corridor, but had an even more sinister feel to it.

"Sorry, sorry, I wasn't designed to crawl through small spaces!" apologized another.

"Yea I noticed… wait… someone's coming!" They both fell silent as footsteps approached. A team rocket grunt, eating a croissant, strolled past the vent, dropping crumbs on the shiny, clean floor.

"Hey that smelled pretty good," said the second voice as the warm scent wafted into the vent.

"Hey, stay focused." the first voice advised. When the rocket grunt turned the corner, the vent grid was kicked off, and two teenage boys jumped out. One was slightly taller than the other, and they both wore navy blue hoodies with a white silhouette of a bird Pokémon on the back. The hoods concealed their heads and they had scarf masks covering their mouths and noses, concealing their faces even more. The shorter one removed his hood, revealing his head of turquoise hair and dark, rust colored eyes. He smirked as he drew some pokéballs from his belt. "Now for phase two!"

---

Hours had passed, maybe even days. There were no clocks, windows, or other openings, so none of the imprisoned Pokémon could tell what time it was outside their prison and they eventually lost track. A Rocket scientist or Brooke herself came in to check on Jamie, who was still unconscious. Samantha was pacing circles in her cylindrical chamber, while Core watched. The Bayleef was just lying down, staring into nothingness.

(Mmmf… Ah… Ugh!) Samantha murmured as she paced, along with other strange noises as horrible visions ran through her mind like a slideshow. Her facial expressions continually cycled through fear, anger, worry, and sadness.

(Sam… you're constant circle running is making me hungrier than I already am…) Core lamented in a laid back tone.

(Well _excuse _me for worrying that our trainer is going to wither away to nothing or… or… mutate into some monstrosity because of the ambitions of some… _crazy team rocket bitch!_) She yelled, arms flailing all over the place, (_and all you can think about is freaking food?!) _She blurted out so quickly and angrily that it was nearly incoherent. Core blinked, surprised at her speech, which was unusually vulgar for her.

Suddenly, she just couldn't take it anymore. She held her head as she reared back and let out a high pitched scream before falling on her back, exhausted. The Bayleef raised her head and an eyebrow, wondering what all of the racket's about. Core rolled his eyes. He was worried and feared for everyone's lives, too, but he was one that usually bided his time. However, he was quite unsure if there will be anything he could actually do… he just had to keep a cool head, unlike Sammy.

(Hey, are they going to feed us anytime soon?) he asked the Bayleef.

(If they remember…) she responded blandly.

(Oh wow. Rockets can't even take care of their prisoners… _Lame_!) he said, rolling his eyes again.

(Heh,) the Bayleef chuckled, in what seemed like the first time in weeks, (Judging by how they talked about you two, you'd probably be gifted to the higher ups, pawned off, or brain washed into being their slaves.)

(Sounds about ri…)

Boom!

Before Core could finish, the room shook violently as they heard what sounded like a nearby explosion. Samantha jumped to her feet, looking around frantically as a loud siren began to echo throughout the room and a red light began to blink continuously.

(Gracious! What on earth is happening!?) the Bayleef blurted out. Suddenly they heard a sound other than the alarm beyond the door on the opposite side of the room. The trio listened attentively.

"Vile….PLUUUME" a voiced yelled as the door suddenly began to glow.

(Wah! Duck!) Core shouted, knowing something was coming. The trio crouched down as the door was blasted off its hinges by a white beam of light lit up the darkened room. The beam moved horizontally across the room, searing everything it touched before fading away, thankfully before it made its way to Jamie. Samantha opened her eyes and noticed that the parts of their chambers hit by the beam were glowing red from the heat. A furred, black and white Pokémon with fierce red eyes dashed into the room. It had a strange crest on its head with what looked like a black blade sticking out the right side. The blade began to glow before it swung its head and blades of air shot out, pelting all the heated portions of the chambers and causing them to shatter. Samantha immediately dashed out to Jamie and began trying to free her.

(How fortunate!) Core exclaimed as he fumbled out of his cell, glad his patience had paid off. The Bayleef still sat there stunned that someone _actually _came. The black and white Pokémon came over to her. She turned towards her savior, and was able to see its sharp black claws up close, and could clearly tell it was an Absol.

(Can you walk, hun?) she asked kindly, with a benevolent expression not seen on many Pokémon of her kind. The Bayleef snapped out of her daze.

(Oh! I'm sorry,) she tried to stand, but her legs seem weak from the long period of no exercise and malnutrition. She almost fell but the Absol leaned under her to help her up.

(Don't worry, I got ya) Such irony! Absol are usually warnings of impending danger, but this one has come to her rescue. As they began walking, a Pokémon with a large, red flower on its head waddled in, followed by a floating, purple ghost Pokémon with two disembodied hands. The flowered Pokémon must be the Vileplume that blasted the door. They stood on the opposite sides of the door way as the sound of running became louder.

"We have to make sure Prof. Brooke's lab is secure!" a grunt yelled as he and one other began to approach the room. Right when they entered the doorway. The ghost Pokémon landed a wet Lick with its long, slobbery tongue on one and the Vileplume blasted the other with a cloud of yellow pollen from its oversized flower. The two grunts yelped before falling to the floor motionless.

(Are there any more chambers? I might have enough stored energy for one more Solarbeam,) the Vileplume asked.

The ghost Pokémon, a Haunter, hovered straight through the chamber housing the Bayleef's Charmeleon friend, put a hand on it, and noticed the tail flame was completely extinguished.

(Ah… Pity. This one has already left us,) he said remorsefully. The Bayleef lowered her head. It hurt that much more hearing the sad truth from another. Suddenly they heard more footsteps rushing toward them. Two teenage boys hopped over the paralyzed rockets and scanned the room.

"Nice job guys!" the turquoise haired one complemented. The other boy, still hooded, ran over to Jamie, where Samantha was still trying to break the shackles. He did not pay any attention to the crimson Pokémon, but he did glance up to meet her gaze once.

"Here's the captive!" he said as he began to pick the locks. Samantha froze. She recognized that voice. It was one that she knew _extremely _well. After removing all the shackles, he looked up at Jamie's face and he hesitated. "Holy crap!" he yelled. Now Samantha was sure of whom he was.

"What's the matter?! Is she dead?!" the other asked, scared that he was right.

"No it's just… I know who this is!" he said slowly picking her up and cradling her in his arms. How could she have gotten mixed up into all of this, he wondered. "At least I know why I recognized you, Sammy." He said, turning to the Scizor.

"Wait, seriously?!"

"Yeah, but I'll explain later, let's move!" the hooded boy said as he lifted her. He glanced around and saw Jamie's bag on a table. He slung it over his shoulder and darted out the door, followed closely by the Haunter, Vileplume, and Samantha who was carrying Core. The turquise headed boy was about to follow until he noticed the Bayleef staring at the Charmeleon. He approached her and stared into the chamber at the motionless and flameless Charmeleon.

"This your friend?" he asked sincerely. She nodded solemnly. He flashed her a smile. "Abigail! Ice Beam, then Iron Tail!" The Absol nodded before quickly blasting a blue beam from her mouth that froze the chamber, then shattering it with her glowing Tail. "All right, let's roll!" The boy picked up the Charmeleon and followed his companions out the door alongside Abigail and the Bayleef.

---

_It's dark. It's been dark for… I don't know… a long time. My head hurts… I can barely breathe… I'm cold… I'm scared… where am I? _

_Sammy… Anthony… Dustin… help…_

_Huh? I hear voices now… one of them. I know it, but I still can't call out… Now it feels like… I'm moving. There's… a warmth… a familiar warmth… and there's a heartbeat amongst all the noise… Is it mine…? I don't…think so… but… I'm… not scared anymore… I must see what's going on…_

---

Jamie slowly tries to opens her eyes. Everything is flashing red in sync with a loud alarm, and she's being held by someone. Whoever it is, he or she is running. Suddenly they stop. Her vision begins to clear and she sees that her courier's face is hidden, yet, she feels like she knows him.

"W-what's… going on?" she weakly asks. The boy removes his hood and scarf, revealing bright green eyes, blonde hair, and a smile so kind it'd probably set a demon on flames on sight.

"Don't worry Jamie, we'll get you out of here," he reassures with a determined look on his face. Then just as quickly as it came, her strength leaves her and she's once again asleep. As she falls asleep however, she catches a glimpse of a red Pokémon flying beside them.

_Everything is fine now… Anthony is here… So is Sammy… everything will be fine…_

Within a few seconds, the other boy and Pokémon catch up to them. They appear to be in front of the exit. Abigail looks back to make sure they didn't leave the Bayleef behind, but she saw that she was still a ways back, staring down another hall. She runs back to her.

(Hurry, hun, we have to go before we get caught!)

(Ah.. but…) the grass Pokémon stuttered, her sight still fixated down the other hallway. Samantha glances back and notices her staring in that direction. "What could she be looking at?" she wondered.

(Now!) Abigail commanded as she went behind her and started pushing her along. The boy sets the Charmeleon on Abigail when they catch up. As he starts to push buttons on a control panel near the heavy door in front of them, they look behind them and notice a crowd of Rocket grunts rushing towards them.

"Almost home free. Just need to assure our escape," Anthony says as he fumbles for a pokéball. He presses it and it releases a ladybug Pokémon with alien-like traits, "Bobby, Light Screen!"

"Ledian!" it chants as a translucent wall of light clogs the hall between them and the grunts, "Ledi!" It thrusts its four arms forward, causing the screen to move away from them, pushing back all the hapless rocket grunts and their Pokémon way down the hallway.

(Bobby! Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes!) Core exclaims, giving the Ledian a high five. Well, as much of a high five as something with no fingers can give.

(Haha, we'll have to catch up later!) Bobby replied with a grin.

Beep!

"Got it!" the boy exclaimed as the door began to unlatch. But right when it opened, there was a huge gust of wind that tried to pull all of them out. The Bayleef, Samantha, and Core peered outside, and all they could see was the starry night sky. Then when they looked down, they saw a vast forest.

They were flying.

(Oh my… we were in one of those flying machines humans use all this time!?) the Bayleef exclaims, still unable to believe it. So many things were happening so quickly. Her mind was still spinning just from the escape from the cylinder cell! The boy looked at all the Pokémon then turned to Anthony.

"Okay, how are we going to do this, she can't carry us all." He stated, raising his voice over the sound of the rushing wind.

"Don't worry, Sammy here will carry the Bayleef," Anthony smiled. The other boy nodded back and turned towards the exit. He brought his fingers to his mouth, and made a loud, ear piercing whistle. They all waited until they heard a loud caw.

"Geott-oo!" shrieked an extremely large bird covered in tan feathers and possessing on its head a long crest of gold and pink feathers. It had distinguishing black marks around its eyes as well. As it approached, everyone backed up to make space for it to land in the doorway. The boy picked up the Charmeleon, then pulled out a pokéball.

"Great job Abigail, now return!" he said as a red beam struck the Absol, and it disappeared into the device. Anthony did the same and returned his Vileplume. The boys mounted the large bird while Bobby picked up Core. They leapt off the side and began flying alongside the rocket airship, drifting away from it slowly.

(Alright! Let's get out of here!) Samantha exclaimed with glee. As she was about to lift the Bayleef, a bright orange beam struck the ground near them and exploded.

(Ack!) they both yelled as the explosion knocked them apart and into the walls of the corridor.

(Sammy!) Core yelled from Bobby's arms.

"Aw dang!" both boys yelled, seeing the explosion from the door. Their flying mount was too burdened to land on the ship again, so they were powerless to do anything.

(Ugh…) Samantha groaned, placing a claw on her head. The Bayleef stood up and stared down the corridor. Not far down was a team rocket grunt standing next to a large blue Pokémon, possessing a gaping mouth and large bat wings.

"Golbat! Get them!" the grunt commanded. The Golbat swooped towards them. Samantha stood up, and rushed forward, ramming the bat with the little strength she had left. It screeched as it flew back towards whence it came. "Use Supersonic!" the grunt yelled. The Golbat corrected itself then emitted several sound waves toward the two Pokémon.

Crap! If they get confused, there would be little hope of them getting away. Samantha stepped back, trying to think of a way to avoid the sound waves, but the Bayleef leapt forward. She waved her leaf, and the duo was engulfed in an iridescent light that bounced the Supersonic right off.

(Nice!) Samantha cheered. She looked back at the opponent with determined eyes and stretched out her claws. The rushing air began encircling them as she focused her energy into her limbs. (Take this, Rocket scum!) she cried as she thrust her claws forward. Suddenly the air burst forward in a funnel of slicing wind.

"Gooolbat!" the large-mouthed Pokémon screeched, trying to protect itself from the attack. The Bayleef reared her head back and swung her leaf, releasing a myriad of spinning leaves into Samantha's attack. They gained speed before finally striking the blue Pokémon with so much force it flew backward, ramming its trainer and taking him with it down the corridor. Both Pokémon, panting from their attacks, looked at each other and smiled.

(Phew, now let's fly the coop!) Samantha quickly scooped up the grass Pokémon and leapt out the window with beating wings. They flew away from the aircraft to join the Pidgeot and Ledian with their passengers.

"Awesome job, Sammy!" Anthony praised accompanied with a thumbs up.

"Hah! Chalk down another mission complete!" his partner cheered as they widened their distance from the ship.

(Ah… I've forgotten how beautiful the night sky was… and the air) the Bayleef took a deep breath, (much fresher than a remember it!) Samantha smiled at the change in the Bayleef's mood now that they're out of that horrible prison. She was absolutely giddy.

As they fly into the night, Samantha looks over her shoulder, and she could have sworn she saw Brooke standing in the doorway from whence they escaped. As the distance from the airship increased she could see it much more clearly. It was huge! It also looked more like a fortress or something.

She turned her attention back to following the Pidgeot ahead of her, and was still worried about what tribulations await Jamie. As for now, being held in Anthony's arms is the safest place her trainer could be. She was _sure_ of that.

--

"So it seems they have escaped..." Titus said as he approached Brooke from behind. She was still in the doorway watching her little experiment fly away.

"It's not a problem," she said calmly. She turned around and started down the hall with Titus close behind. "All is not lost, the experiment will commence. It'll just require a... few more resources than planned," she sneered, her eyes emitting a dark glow for a brief second.

--

Reviews Pl0x! Getting no feedback is a horribly feeling, I don't know what I need to improve on if no one says anything... D:

Breeze: What is this?? Pokémon? What are you doing writing Pokémon fics instead of _MY _story!?

Me: I have other interests too! You cannot stop my creative-ness!

Breeze: we'll see about that…


	4. Chapter 4 New and Old Faces

Me: YAR!! Another chapter GET!! Breeze's winds of doom cannot stop meh!

Breeze: You win this round, but I will force you to continue MY story! Your Resist Psynergies will not save j00!

Me: you keep doing that and I shall keep up my max resist spam :D /golden sun talk

Anywhoo, another chapter of mah Pokemon story. Nothing much happens this chapter, lots of character introductions, though.

---

Chapter 5

(Alright! You're fit as a fiddle,) a pink, rotund Pokémon wearing a nurse cap declared with glee.

(Thanks so much!) Samantha replied with a smile.

(My pleasure) the pink Pokémon giggled as she began to waddle out the room. When she had fully exited, Samantha let out a big sigh. Still sitting on the bed platform, she tested her joints and buzzed her wings a bit. Those Chansey did a very good job with the healing and whatnot. Samantha had been the last Pokémon to be treated, so the others were already up and about in the center's garden. She hopped off the bed and exited into the hallway.

(Alright, where would they keep a human in a Pokémon center?) she thought. She continued down the halls where Chansey were walking by, tending to whatever they were doing. Samantha stopped in the middle of the hallway when she realized she had absolutely no clue where to go. She tapped one of the passing Chansey on the shoulder.

(Um, Excuse me. Could you tell me where they had put a human that came in earlier?) she asked, her weight shifting to one hip. The Nurse Pokémon blinked at her question.

(Oh! Errr,) she mumbled when she thought about it, (I heard an injured human was brought in, but I wouldn't know where she would be.) She bowed apologetically and continued on her way. Samantha let out another sigh. How was she to find Jamie? She glanced around the somewhat busy hallway. The wallpaper was a warm orange that shined brightly in the hallway's fluorescent lights. Orange wasn't really on Sam's favorite color list either. Combined with all the pink Pokémon running around it gave a very positive atmosphere to the center. That's a good thing, since Pokémon centers can be a bit gloomy with all the sick and injured Pokémon laying around.

After wandering aimlessly for about three minutes, Samantha hears something down the hall. She stops and listens. It was singing, singing she was all too familiar with. She continued towards the sound and turned a couple corners until she came upon a room. In the patient bed lay a sleeping Jamie, all patched up by Nurse Joy herself. Sitting at her bed side was Anthony, holding her hand and singing a soothing melody in a voice many consider angelic. Samantha walked to Jamie's bedside and sat down. He stopped his song when he noticed her presence.

"Oh, hey Sammy," Anthony greeted as she took her seat. He was wearing his trademark green headband that matched quite well with his green eyes and complimented his bright blond hair. "Nurse Joy said that she's bruised up a little and a bit dehydrated, but she'll be fine in a couple days." Samantha nodded, relieved that there was nothing serious, but she still thought about whatever it was Brooke injected into her back on the airship. Maybe it was nothing because Nurse Joy didn't find anything out of the ordinary. Samantha was still worried… what if its true properties reveal themselves later?

The crimson Pokémon took a deep breath as Anthony continued his song, and began rocking her head slowly with the words. After a few minutes someone came in from the hallway.

"Hey! Song bird!" a voice teased. The bedside duo turned around and they saw the turquoise haired lad who had helped the escape from Brooke's flying fortress of doom. Now that there was no excitement going on, Samantha could get a better look at the boy. He seemed around Jamie's age and was rather thin looking, but not unhealthily so. His blue green hair was long and straight, and was tied in a ponytail that went about halfway down his back. It was longer than Jamie's hair Samantha noted, and he was taller than Jamie, but shorter than Anthony by a bit. The boy walked over to the bedside and took a seat on another vacant stool.

"Hoping your awesome voice will awake the damsel in distress, eh?" he teased again, raising one of the eyebrows over his rust colored eyes and flashed a playful grin.

"Hey, whatever works," Anthony shrugged. His face turned serious, "I'm _still_ wondering how she got involved in all of this." He put his hand under his chin as he tried to contemplate possibilities.

While he did that the turquoise haired boy turned towards Samantha. Samantha just stared back at him. The boy stood and walked over to the crimson Pokémon, scanning over her attentively. She just smiled nervously. She gets a bit uncomfortable when people examine her in such a manner.

Suddenly, the boy started jumping about her, prodding her and feeling her claws and wings.

(Gah!) the Scizor jumped away with her back against the wall, (The heck is he doing?!) she thought to herself. Her outburst snapped Anthony out of his thoughts.

"Oh, she doesn't like it when people do that."

"I didn't mean to upset it," the boy apologized with a hand behind his head, "I couldn't resist because the way she fought and flew back during the escape was rather impressive." Anthony just nodded in agreement. As he did that, they all heard a murmur. They turned their attention to Jamie, who was starting to stir, and crowded around the bed. She slowly opened her eyes.

"W-what… where am I?" she asked weakly. She began to sit up, but a pain in her chest caused her to cringe.

"Jamie! Don't move, you're still kinda banged up," Anthony said caringly. Jamie raised her head and saw who was surrounding her.

"Ah! Anthony! Samantha!" she yelled and leaned forward to hug the two, ignoring the pain in her torso. She saw the other boy from between the two bodies she was hugging, "oh, and you are?"

"Oh! Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Darryl," he bowed. Jamie released her two friends from her hug.

"Nice to meet you," she said politely.

"Darryl is the one who helped in the rescue." Anthony added.

"Really?" she bowed slightly, "then I'm really grateful!"

"Was no problem! I've been dealing with Rocket bases for quite some time now," he said, bringing his hand up and examining his nails to make it seem like what he did was pretty regular.

"Uh… ok then," she said laying her head back down on the pillow. She felt tired again.

"Jamie, you feeling alright?" the blonde boy asked with a worried tone.

"Yeah… I'm fine, I just need to rest a bit…" she closed her eyes, then fell asleep again.

"Eh… that awakening was rather short-lived," Darryl commented. The Anthony and Samantha nodded. Something reoccurred to Anthony just now.

"Hey, Sammy. If you want, you can go out into the center's garden with all of our other Pokémon if you want."

Samantha just remembered Core and the Bayleef from the ship. She really wanted to stay at Jamie's bedside, but she felt she needed to see the others. She was in no danger now, so Samantha just headed over to the open window, hopped outside, and took to the skies.

"I'm still amazed she can fly. Don't Scizor lose that ability in evolution?" Darryl asked, watching Samantha fly away from the window.

"Yeah they do, but she's a bit special. She's always had larger wings than average and she and Jamie worked extra hard to get her flight capable again after she evolved." He turned and looked at Jamie sleep peacefully, "she has a knack for training Pokémon even though she doesn't battle much. She's obviously going to want some answers when she wakes up."

---

The red mantis flew through the clear afternoon skies, scanning the ground for any familiar forms. After a few minutes of searching through crowds of Pokémon and trees, she notices a red and yellow dot with some other forms near the pond. She lowers her altitude and sees that it is, indeed, Core.

(…and then I busted right through the ice wall and hit the Cloyster head on!) the Shuckle boasted to the Ledian sitting next to him.

(Hah, nice!) the ladybug Pokémon complemented. Samantha dropped from above and walked over to the Bug-types. (Heya, Sammy!) Bobby greeted with a wave of two of his four hands. The steel-type smiled and waved back.

(Hey, Bobby. How've you been the last couple months,) she asked.

(Really good!) he replied, (Core was just telling me how he nearly took out that Cloyster.)

(I was really close, too,) Core interjected, (then that darned Water Pulse came out of nowhere and threw me at Jamie…) He looked sorrowful after saying that last part. Samantha walked over and put a claw on his shell.

(Don't worry, Jamie will be fine, they said,) she reassured him.

(Ah, okay. That's great!) he nodded with relief, (oh! Let's go meet the others!) Core slowly started sliding himself towards a group of other Pokémon with Bobby and Samantha hovering not too far behind. She was already expecting to meet some new faces, trainers tend to add to their ranks when gone for a couple months.

As they drew closer, Samantha notices the Vileplume from the airship and a shiny, blue Pokémon, with purple antennae protruding from the sides of its head, near the water. When they see the crimson Pokémon coming they quickly ran to greet her.

(Sam! So great to see you again!) they both said in unison.

(Hey, Willy!) she said to the small water-type. Samantha quickly recognized the blue Pokémon, a Wooper, as one of Anthony's Pokémon who left Azalea with him and Bobby. However the Vileplume… she didn't recall at all. The flower Pokémon noticed her failure to remember him.

(What? You don't remember me?) the flower Pokémon said, slightly disappointed. Samantha shook her head. (It's _me,_ Turnip!)

(Whaaaaat!?) she said flabbergasted. (But you were such a little Oddish when you left with Anthony!) Anthony already had three Pokémon when he started his journey; Bobby, the Ledian, William aka "Willy," the Wooper, and Turnip. Turnip was just a timid little Pokémon back then. (You got so big!) she said, gesturing his change of size with her arms.

(Yep, I evolved twice!) he said, sounding proud of reaching that level. Evolving seems to have given him a lot more confidence then he had when he left.

(That's awesome!) she said, picking up the grass-type and hugging him tightly.

(You still need to meet the new additions to our group!) Willy interjected as he dashed towards some other Pokémon on his short legs. He stopped next to a small collection of about six creatures. (Oh, these guys don't all belong to Anthony, some are that other guy's Pokémon. Darryl was his name I think.)

Samantha approached the Pokémon and greeted them with her customary smile and wave of a claw. One of them, another bug-type with large pincers protruding from the top of its head approached first.

(Hey, girl!) the Pinsir greeted, (Bob's told me so much about you!) she extended one of her hands, (Finally glad to meet you face to face. My name's Penny.)

(Likewise!) Samantha replied, grasping and shaking the hand extended towards her. The Pinsir looked especially strong.

(So I've heard you were born in the National Park?)

(Oh, yeah, I was,) Samantha replied.

(Cool! That makes us Park Sisters! How long did you go without being caught?) Penny asked eagerly.

(Uhhh…) the mantis lowered her head somewhat shamefully, (I don't remember much from when I was in the park.) She did remember that Anthony was the one who caught her using Bobby, who was a Ledyba back then. He was with his parents visiting the National Park for a holiday. She was just a little Scyther with hardly any battles under her belt, so she was more or less easy pickings. Getting caught wasn't all bad, though. After all, she was given to Jamie for her twelfth birthday shortly after she was captured.

(Aww… caught in the early stages, eh? No shame in that. During those times, most get caught anyway!) she chuckled, putting a hand on Samantha's claw. When the Scizor raised her head again, she noticed the large bird Pokémon that carried Jamie and the boys away from the airship slowly walking over. When she stopped in front of them, Samantha actually had to look upwards to meet the Pidgeot's gaze.

(Greetings and salutations my good Pokémon,) the avian said in a rather powerful voice. It then leaned forward, bringing its head closer to Samantha's level (I must commend you on your spectacular presentation back on those despicable Rocket's flying monstrosity).

(I… uh… thank you?) she replied nervously (Holy crap, she's huge) she thought, forcing a smile despite how intimidated she was by the Pokémon's sheer size. She must've been at least seven feet tall! However, her speech revealed a high level of intelligence and sophistication not found in most Pokémon.

(Where are my manners, I haven't introduced myself) the flying-type raised herself back to her upright position, (my name is Kira, companion and transport for the young human, Darryl. Your battle skills and flight ability have impressed even me. We simply _must_ talk further, but alas, priorities. Come, you must be introduced to my comrades!) The bird flapped its humongous wings and flew a short distance to a couple other Pokémon cuddled together and basking in the sun. With just those few flaps, the gusts created nearly knocked all the other Pokémon off their feet. Samantha just stood there and watched as the bird Pokémon landed and waved its wing signaling them over.

(Yeah… she kinda scares me, too. She's too damn big,) Penny added as she started her way in that direction alongside Core and Anthony's other Pokémon. As they neared Kira's position, Samantha could make out who the other Pokémon were. One was the white Pokémon that aided in her rescue, Abigail the Absol, she believed. She was snuggled up with another four-legged Pokémon. This one was quite large, possessing black fur with a magnificent mane, a blue muzzle and piercing eyes that seem to be able to look right through you. Unlike the one next to it, he was arguing with a long ferret-like Pokémon, a Furret, obviously. Kira just stood there shaking her head, as if this happened quite frequently. She perked up when the group approached, but the two arguing Pokémon didn't seem to notice them.

(So who's next on the introduction relay?) she joked.

(I _know_ you took them!) the Furret accused, pointing a paw at the larger one. Samantha looked at it, but couldn't make out what kind of Pokémon it was.

(Look, Jonas,) the dark-furred Pokémon grunted, (I did not, I repeat, _did not_, eat your damned sitrus berries!)

(Who else could have? You're the only one who could've found them with your Z-ray vision!)

(X-ray…)

(X-Ray, Y-Ray _whatever_ it is!)

(With the way you hide them, a sleeping Slowpoke could've found them!)

(Oh! So you admit it!?)

(What?! I admitted _nothing)_

The two argued for a good minute without any Pokémon interrupting them.

(Don't fret. They'll be done in just a tad,) Kira reassured. From Samantha's perspective, it looked like they about to go at it. Abigail, without raising her head or opening her eyes, nudged at the dark-haired Pokémon.

(Darlin', just go help the boy find his darned berries,) she said, sounding only slightly annoyed.

(Why!?) he asked, sounding surprised.

(Because you'll be able to find them easier,) she replied, (now get!) The Pokémon just frowned and sighed.

(_Fine_, come on Jonas, lets find your damned berries…) he conceded.

(Yay!) the Furret yelled with glee. He ran in a circle a few times before dashing off, (come on let's gooooo!) The other one just got up and took his sweet time following the long-bodied Pokémon.

(Heh, my lovely Luxray always does what I say,) Abigail giggled as she stretched and rose to her feet.

(Ah, he is a Luxray? Never seen one of those,) Samantha said.

(That's right. They're native to the Sinnoh region, so they're rare sights in these parts.) Abigail replied. Samantha noticed she had a very interesting accent to her speech; certain sounds were stressed out a bit differently. (Oh, pardon my rudeness, I am Abigail. The ones who just went off huntin' for the berries were Gavin and Jonas,) she smiled.

(They get along great, huh?) Core said sarcastically.

(Well, Jonas is rather obnoxious. That and the fact my Gavin's stubborn as a Tauros doesn't help their situation none,) Abigail chuckled. As they were talking, Bobby was counting his fingers.

(Let's see, I think you've met everyone except Fade and Topaz,) he said.

(Hm? Both belong to Darryl?) Samantha asked.

(No, only Fade. Topaz is Anthony's. Where'd they go, anyway?)

(Topaz told me she went for a bite to eat and Fade went to keep her company," Abigail replied.

(That girl is always running off somewhere,) Penny added, crossing her arms. Right when she finished the ground rumbled and a tall stone spike juts out of the ground. Startled, Samantha instinctively clamped a claw onto it. The ground rumbled again, this time more violently, and the spike Samantha was holding onto quickly rose into the air as something exploded out of the ground. Samantha screamed as she flew upwards, still holding on for dear life.

(Why hello thar, Topaz!) Bobby yelled upwards.

(Heya Bob, whatchya all doin?) a voice yelled. Samantha, still shaking a bit from the surprise, looked down and saw she was sitting on top of something rocky and was high above the ground. (Now where is this Scizor person we're supposed to meet?) asked the same voice. It seemed to have come from the rock she was sitting on. After further inspection, she saw a long body composed entirely of boulders. She was on top of an Onix!

(She is perched atop your cranium my Terrestrial friend,) Kira yelled upwards. The Onix just stared at her, trying to pick apart the Pidgeot's words.

(She's on your fat head!) Penny yelled.

(Huh?) the Onix rolled its eyes upwards, (on my… head?)

(Yeeees your _head_!) all the other Pokémon yelled in unison. The rock-type shook its head and flung Samantha off and onto her back with a thud.

(Oh! I'm soooo sorry!) she said, using her tail to bring Samantha's dizzy body to its standing position, (being a rock type and all I don't usually feel things on my head. It's probably because I'm normally hitting it on rocks and other hard stuff, so I've probably lost all feeling to small things. Speaking of Pressure, I remember that one time where I battled Abby, and I started losing my energy, like, reeaal fast and I mean fast! It was like, twice the speed as I normally use energy! Did you know Oran berries give lots of energy? They're worse than sitrus but…)

(Ahem,) coughed Kira, (you're digressing my dear. Please, introduce yourself)

(Hi hi! I'm Topaz!) the Onix said happily, as if she had already forgotten everything she had said in her fast spoken dialogue she went into moments earlier. A purple Pokémon, the Haunter who was on the airship, flew out of the ground shortly afterwards.

(Topaz, I'd suggest you choose a better surfacing point…) he said.

(Heheh… yeah,) Topaz chuckled, slightly embarrassed.

(Anyway, hello there. I'm Fade,) the ghost Pokémon said, floating over to Samantha who was still wobbly, (glad to see you are... erm, well.)

(N-nice to meet you…) she said, trying to keep the ground from spinning. When she finally regained her balance. She eyed a weird shaped rock lying against a tree. It resembled a head with a large, orange nose, the key characteristics of a Nosepass.

(Is that Pokémon over there Anthony's too?) she inquired.

(Eyup, that's Pointer. Anthony got him in a trade with a trainer who hailed from the Hoenn region) Bobby answered.

(Hoenn, eh? Interesting. What did he trade?)

(I forget. It was something rather common. It seemed like the trainer was in a hurry to trade it.)

(Maybe I should go say hello?) Samantha said as she began to walk over there.

(That may not be a good idea. He's a bit of an… asshole…) Bobby added.

(Ah… Maybe another time, then?)

(That would be recommended,) he nodded. Topaz tried to hold in a laugh.

(I remember when I was just caught and ignored that warning,) the Onix said.

(Yeah I remember that,) Penny said, (once you opened your mouth, you got zap cannoned).

(Ouch,) Samantha cringed.

(Eh, not so much 'ouch,' but more like 'hehe haha that tickled.' I ate about three of them suckers before I got the message!) Topaz stuck out her tongue playfully.

(Sadly, not everyone can share that luxury,) Willy said, popping out of the pond.

(Sucks to be them,) Topaz teased. The ground types started laughing.

(You may enjoy your immunity to electricity, but you guys get royally screwed by them grass types,) Penny smirked. All of the Pokémon suddenly broke out into a hot debate of weaknesses, resistances, and immunities. Samantha just laughed as she listened. She was quite happy with her typing, having few weaknesses and several resistancs. This seemed like a good bunch of Pokémon to travel with Anthony. Penny, Topaz, and Pointer where additions to Anthony's roster, bringing his team to six after counting Bobby, Willy, and Turnip. Abigail, Gavin, Jonas, Kira, and Fade belonged to Darryl. She was glad Anthony had such companions. The cheery atmosphere around this group was infinitely better than the gloom and doom of the airship.

Then something just came back to her, where was that Bayleef?

(Berry for your thoughts?) Kira asked, noticing Samantha's thinking after she had ceased her laughter.

(Oh, yeah. You know that Bayleef? I still haven't seen her yet.)

(She is due northeast of here,) Kira guided using her wing, (take to the skies, and you can't miss her.)

(Thanks,) she turned to all the Pokémon and bowed happily, (nice meeting you all!) She took a great leap, extended her wings and flew away.

--

Bweeeeeee, I got summer classes now, and I wrote this while procrastinating! Yaaaay~


	5. Chapter 5 Those Who Set with the Sun

Another Update, however soon it may be. I've actually been planning this chapter out for several months (even pre-2009 if I recall correctly). I'm quite proud of this chapter ^^

--

Chapter 6

Today was rainy in Azalea. It's very rainy during the spring time, and this day was no exception. The kids want to play, but the adults keep them inside. Some were content with their toys and video games, but others weren't going to have any of it.

Dressed in a bright yellow rain coat with matching boots and rain cap, the little girl skipped through the deep puddles to the house down the street. She came to the porch where she took off her hat, revealing her shiny, dark skin and black hair tied into a ponytail, and shook off some of the water. She knocked on the door and waited for someone to answer. Footsteps sounded and the door was opened by a woman with curly black hair.

"Oh, Franlina?" She greeted, sounding a bit confused.

"Can Jamie come out to play?" little Fran asked, smiling and pleading she'd say yes. It was a long shot considering it was pouring, so she smiled extra hard and flashed her cute little dimples.

"Um, Jamie left a little while ago. She said she was going over to your house."

"Huh? That's weird, I would have seen her if she was coming to my house" she said, becoming just as confused as Jamie's mother. It wasn't like Jamie to lie.

"Where could she have gone?" the worried mother wondered. She grabbed an umbrella and rain coat then stepped out with Franlina to look for her daughter.

Quite a ways away from Jamie's home walked a young boy of about eight years with bright blonde hair and green eyes. In one hand he held his umbrella, in the other, a bag full of pastries. He switched his umbrella so that it rested on his shoulder to free a hand to rub his tummy which stuck out a bit because he enjoyed his meals a little too much. He peeked into the bag of sweets and licked his lips as if he hadn't eaten these types of goodies in weeks.

"Mmmm, I can't wait to have one of these when I get home!" he said to himself as the warm aroma of the bag wafted into his nostrils. He looked to his right and to his left, then murmured, "I'll… just take a bite of one now…" He pulled out a round chocolate covered donut with cream filling and opened his mouth to take a bite until he saw someone in the distance partially hidden by the heavy rain fall. He put his treat back in the bag, and walked closer to the figure to see who it was. It was a little girl around his age. She was wearing a bright green rain coat with a green rain cap and she cradled in her arms a wide assortment of wild flowers. She turned around as he approached, her blue eyes sparkling between the rain drops.

"Hi!" she said half smiling to the boy. The boy looked around for any adult figures, but saw none.

"Are you sure you should be walking around by yourself?" he asked.

"You're by _your_self, aren't you?" she huffed, a bit offended.

"Uh, well, yeah…heh," he scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

"I'm just going to go visit my brother," she said while turning around. She took a few steps forward, stopped, then glanced around a bit. It seemed she had no idea where she was going.

"Maybe… I can help you to where you're going?" the boy offered, stepping forward.

"Oh, okay." The girl pulled out a piece of paper from her pocket and unfolded it, "could you take me here?" she asked, handing him the paper. It was a bit soggy, but still legible. He focused hard on the piece of paper, squinting his eyes. The green-clad girl tilted her head, perplexed at the amount effort he was putting into reading. She may have been seven, but she knew her hand-writing wasn't _that_ bad.

"O-Ork-kid S-stre-eet…" he read, quietly mouthing every syllable and following the words with his finger. After a second he triumphantly yelled, "Ah! Orchid street! I can take you there. That's close to where I live!" He handed the paper back to her with an unusual air of self satisfaction.

"Okay!" she responded with glee, "oh, my name is Jamie!"

"I'm Anthony," the boy smiled back. She ran up under his umbrella and they started down the road.

The duo walks down the streets for a few minutes with the Anthony glancing at her every so often. He's noticed how she seems to be looking forward with a happy expression, except it seemed a bit forced…

"So… your brother likes those kind of flowers?" he asked, attempting to start a conversation.

"Oh yes." She embraced the flowers a bit tighter, "he really liked the ones that grow on the edge of Ilex forest. I still like to go out there every day for the flowers!"

"Yeah, the flowers during this time are really nice… wait, what do you mean 'liked?'" The tense she used confused him a bit. Jamie quickened her pace.

"Hey, let's hurry! I want to be home before dinner, or mom will take away my game boy!" she chants, running from under Anthony's umbrella.

"Uh, okay then…" she had completely evaded his question, but then again, most eight year olds don't think about the tense of words. It only occurred to him because that was in today's Language Arts lesson at school.

A few turns and a shortcut through an alley soon put them on Orchid street. Jamie's face lit up as she saw the sign with 'Orchid Street' engraved in bold letters.

"Yay! I can see the place from here! Thanks, Anthony!" she exclaimed running out from under the umbrella's protection. Anthony could've just gone home to enjoy his sweets, but it didn't feel right just to let her go by herself. He hastened his steps until he caught up with her. She ran up to the gate entrance of a pasture surrounded by a stone wall. Jamie tried to pull open the closed gates, but failed.

"Ugh, opeeeeeeen," she whined. Anthony walked up to the gate, undid a latch and opened it.

"Oh! Heh, thanks again!" she chanted before running through the gate with flowers in hand. Anthony looked at the sign on the nearby wall and squinted to read; Orchid Graveyard.

Did this mean that… no, maybe her brother just worked here, he thought. He followed her inside, trying to keep pace with the excited little girl. They passed a myriad of gravestones and markers, some decorated with flowers getting drenched in the rain. Soon, Jamie stopped at a particular one and kneeled down. He drew closer and kneeled down beside her.

She sat still, just staring at the grave without saying a word. Anthony looked at the grave, and mouthed out the first name: _Dustin_.

It was silent except for the symphony of the heavy rain. The blonde boy glanced at the girl, who still seemed to be off in another world.

"So… is thi-"

"Yeah, this is my big brother" she interrupted. The little boy was at a loss for words. This situation was rather new to him. His growing curiosity made him want to ask what happened, but he feared it'd make the girl upset. Against his better judgment, or lack thereof, he began to open his mouth to ask anyway but was cut off once again.

"They told him not to, but he loved Pokémon too much not to go," she said, starting to sort the flowers she was holding, "it… it was his dream to travel and train Pokémon... and they said they can't not let him go."

Anthony watched as she slowly decorated the grave with the various wild flowers she had brought with her. He thought to himself about what she had said; her older brother was a Pokémon trainer, and had died on his journey. Everyone knows accidents happen. He looked at Jamie's face, which was beginning to twist to show she was trying not to cry.

"T-today is his birthday… he's s-sixteen now," she said between sobs with her eyes filling with tears. Anthony's stomach began to twist, he hated seeing people upset, especially girls. He started to think about ways to help her feel better but the girl suddenly burst into full tears. "H-he knew what was gonna happen b-but he w-went anyway!" she threw her head in her hands.

"W-wait, um…" the boy said, still trying to think of a way to cheer her up, but how can anyone combat this kind of pain? He watched her cry for about half a minute, feeling terrible that he can't think of anything to say to help. He guessed he would try his best anyway. "Hey… come on, let's get out of the rain," he said, gently grabbing her hand and lifting her to her feet. With tears still streamed down her cheeks, he lead her to a nearby gazebo, whose interior was untouched by the downpour.

They entered its dry sanctuary and the children sat themselves next to each other on a bench. Anthony turned towards Jamie and saw she was still crying. Suddenly he had an idea. He reached into his bag and took out one of his cream-filled, chocolate-glazed pastries. Obscene amounts of sugar and chocolate always help you feel better! At least, it worked that way for him.

"Here have one!" he smiled, handing her the donut. She stopped crying when she took the sweet and stared at it a bit somewhat wide-eyed.

"An… Azalea Cream…" she murmured. That was what the donut was called. It was made with its own secret recipe for the filling so it was very well known and is rarely, if ever, made outside of Azalea town.

"Yah! They always help me when I'm sad," he noted as he pulled out another for himself. He was about to take a bite but he noticed she wasn't eating hers.

"T-these… were his favorite…" she murmured as her eyes burst into tears again.

"Oh wait, don't cry!" Anthony tried to think of another way to bring her spirits up. His attempt seemed to have backfired. "Do you want a different one?"

"N-no, this is good…" she wiped her face with her hand, slowly bringing her crying to a halt. She took a bite of the pastry. "Thank you," she said after she had swallowed. Anthony sighed in relief and scratched the side of his head with one finger. He didn't know what to say after all that, but before he could do anything his stomach let out a really loud growl. Jamie stopped chewing and turned to the blonde boy, who blushed a bit from embarrassment.

"Umm.. sorry…" he apologized, putting a hand on his stomach. Jamie just giggled.

"Why don't you start eating? Seems like you're hungry!"

"Heh, yeah," he replied. She seemed to be in higher spirits now, maybe the sugar was kicking in? He quickly started eating the donut he had in his hand. He was starving. "Anyway," he began with his mouth full, "why'd you come by yourself?"

"Mommy and Daddy said they were too busy!" she huffed, "So I decided to come by myself. They had enough time to celebrate _my_ birthday two months ago," she held up two fingers on her free hand, emphasizing the two months, "why couldn't they plan for this day? Just because he's gone now doesn't mean they should change anything. So, I decided sneak out to come by myself."

"Oh, okay" he said with a smile. She seemed rather proud of sneaking out, despite the fact she was more or less lost when he found her. While she was talking he had finished the Azalea Cream and had started on another without thinking about it.

"Wow you must really like these," Jamie said, while playfully poking him in his belly.

"Yeah these are just great!" he chuckled, taking another bite form the sweet. They sat quietly, happily eating the cream filled delights. After another minute Anthony turned to Jamie and asked, "hey, wanna hear a song?"

"Sure!" she replied with a grin. He nodded and took a deep breath, then began to sing. The song was nothing special, it was a song almost every kid who grew up in Azalea should know, the Slowpoke Shuffle. It was a silly song with a silly little children's dance, which involved a lot slow movements with a few fast ones thrown in to make the dance look sillier. It was a whole lot of fun for most kids, even the ones who pretended to act grown up couldn't resist joining in.

Jamie sat attentively as the green-eyed boy sang the children's song. She had heard it hundreds of times, but he sang it rather well for someone his age.

"Wow, you're really good!" she complimented when he had finished, "you should be a singer or something when you grow up."

"Mmm, I guess, but my mom says I shouldn't do that," he said, blushing a bit. He put his hands behind his head, "she says nowadays, being famous is a whole lot of trouble. I'd rather train Pokémon anyway!"

"Yea me too," Jamie nodded, though that wasn't a big surprise. Someone can safely say almost all children aspire to train Pokémon unless they had a dislike of them. She looked out into rain, "Gosh, this rain sucks."

"I have an idea, want to come to my house and play a video game?" he inquired. Jamie's face perked up with intrigue.

"What game?"

"I have lots!" he said as he picked up his bag and umbrella, "but just last week, I got the new Regi Rangers 2 ga-…"

"Ohmigosh, I _love _Regi Rangers! Let's go!" she yelled excitedly. She quickly grabbed the blond boy and pulled him out towards the cemetery exit, "I call Lady Regice Ranger!"

"Wah! Wait, slow down! You don't even know where I live!" he yelped as the girl continued to pull him by his arm. As they left the cemetery and started down one direction of Orchid street, the rain slowly let up and the sun peeked out from behind the clouds.

The girl was running down the street happily, but slowed down to a stop as the scenario around her and the boy who's hand she was holding began to disappear. She glanced around and saw nothing but complete blackness.

"H-hey… what's going on?" she asked nervously. She looked down at her hands and noticed that instead of the rain coat clad eight year old from before, she was in a teenage body, her normal one as it came back to her. Where was she? Was this a dream? This couldn't be real. The memory was real but when she thought about it, she had felt this before back on the Rocket's airship. This… "void" was just like when she was unconscious previously.

Suddenly her heart ached and it grew difficult to breathe. She fell to her knees in pain with her hands to her chest. A look of fear made its way across her face as she felt an unseen presence. Then, as if by telepathy, she heard a tremendously deep and sinister voice echo all around her.

_Ha…ha…ha. How very interesting. You shall be an excellent addition to my… collection. You've already known the pain stemming from that which was my dominion. Soon it shall be mine once more... along with everything… else…_

--

Jamie awoke abruptly, nearly gasping for air. She examined her surroundings slowly, as if searching for something ominous. She was still in her room at the Pokémon Center. Sitting to the side of her bed was Anthony. He was leaning back in his seat, asleep with his arms crossed. He must have dozed off, she thought. She slowly got into an upright position in the bed and roused Anthony from his sleep in doing so.

"Sorry, didn't mean to disturb," she apologized.

"No, no, it's fine!" he said as he stretched a bit and smiled, "gets kind of boring when you have to wait for someone to wake up. So, feeling better?"

"More or less," she said, putting a hand to her still aching torso. She sat still for a second then raised her head when something reoccurred to her. "Anthony, what's today?"

"Tuesday?" he replied with a curious look.

"Oh… Dang it," she lamented sadly, "I missed the entire day." Anthony pondered why she could be upset before it hit him.

"Oh yeah, yesterday was your brother's birthday." Jamie clenched the sheets in her hands. "Did you dream about him?"

"Yeah…" she said, still feeling angry at herself.

"Don't beat yourself up over it. It wasn't your fault," he reassured, putting a hand on her shoulder. She looked out the window and saw the sun on its westward journey, disappearing behind the horizon. At least she was safe now, but she couldn't keep that strange voice that she heard in her dream out of mind.

Out of nowhere, a strange grumbling sound made her jump a bit. She looked down at her stomach, but she didn't feel hungry enough for it to make a sound that loud.

"My bad, that's me," Anthony apologized, "I haven't had anything to eat since breakfast!" They both chuckled.

"You nut. You didn't have to wait on me to get something to eat," she teased, "anyway; it's not like you to miss a meal!"

--

(Any parting words?) asked a Chansey whose nurse hat was black with a dark veil coming out of the back, which signified her special duties.

(No… nothing that hasn't already been said,) the Bayleef said, barely audible. She stepped forward towards her friend. He looked so peaceful, laying in that neatly crafted coffin that catered to the Charmeleon's size. She nuzzled her nose against his one last time. (Goodbye…) she whispered.

As she stepped back, the Chansey wearing the hat and veil nodded solemnly, and turned towards the two very muscular Machoke on either side of the small coffin. The fighting types nodded back to her and put the cover over the coffin. They slowly proceeded to lift it up and lower it into the hole dug out for it.

As they were doing this, the Chansey with the black hat begun to sing. After a bit, all of the other Chansey in the group joined in the singing. The Bayleef raised her head and listened to their voices. It was a haunting melody, but at the same time, immensely beautiful. She couldn't understand the words as if it was some sort of Pokémon language not of this world, but that just added to its allure. Before she knew it, she felt something trickle down her cheeks. She used her leaf to wipe whatever it was away. They were her tears.

When the two Machoke had finished burying the coffin, the leading Chansey approached the grass type and put a hand on her back to try to console her. The grass type shook her head to regain her composure. Another Pokémon, a beige one that resembled a dog with a beret holding its tail like a utensil approached.

(Any preference for the grave, madam?) he asked with a tired voice that indicated his old age.

The Bayleef blinked. (No, not in particular.)

(Hmm, alright then,) the old Smeargle responded. He turned toward the small stone the Machoke had just finished placing and put the hand that was holding his tail under his chin to assess the job. The fuzzy end of his tail dampened and turned black. With what looked like a few swipes, he had painted a perfect silhouette of a Charmeleon on it. He stared at it, critiquing it. (Ah,) he said as something came to him. He painted a small leaf in the corner.

(Very impressive,) the Bayleef praised with a weak smile.

(I figured the marking would tell him apart from some of the others in case you'd like to visit. There are a few other Charmeleon resting here.)

(Makes sense. Thank you,) The Smeargle nodded, and made his way out of the Pokémon graveyard. The grass type just took a minute and stared at the grave solemnly.

(Will you be alright?) the leading Chansey asked caringly. It snapped her out of her trance, and she noticed that she had begun crying again.

(O-oh, yes.) she shook her head again. With one last glance at the gravestone, she made her way back out to the main garden alongside the pink Pokémon. (That was a beautiful ceremony. Would've never seen one of those out in my forest home,) she said, trying to break the silence.

(Mhm… It is based off the human funeral ceremony,) the nurse Pokémon responded.

(And that song… it was splendid. What did it mean, pray tell?)

(Oh, That!) the Chansey smiled, (that was a song my dear grandmother taught me. It was passed down in my family for generations, mother to daughter, or granddaughter in my case. Sadly, what the words meant was lost to us somewhere down the line, but the pure and simple meaning of the entire song is still remembered.) The Bayleef listened attentively. (It celebrates the cycle of life and death. It sings of the gift the Bringer gives us and tells of how our souls, both human and Pokémon, find eternal peace after the Taker calls out to us.)

(I see… that's truly wonderful.)

(Oh, I apologize, I cannot tell much more. The song was passed down over centuries, so whoever the Taker and the Bringer were was lost to us somewhere down the line as well. If you want, I could teach you the lyrics? I'd already taught it to all my friends at the center.)

(I'd… really like that,) the grass type smiled.

(Well, then I'll meet you later tonight. I have several more duties to attend to!) she said happily as she quickened her walking pace.

(Thanks again!) the Bayleef yelled while waving her leaf. As the Chansey disappeared from her sight, she lowered her head and sighed. A buzzing sound fell from above and she turned to see Samantha, whose armor glistened in the orange light of the sun.

(Hey, you doing alright?) the mantis said as she approached.

(As well as I'd ever be at this point) she replied, smiling weakly. The two Pokémon started walking back, side by side for a while with Samantha shooting glances at the Bayleef occasionally. She definitely looked much better. She was a richer shade of yellow and wasn't as pale as she was back in the jail cell and nearly all tinges of brown on her leaves and buds turned back green. She noticed that she was staring forward emotionlessly and the crimson Pokémon felt the urge to break the ice.

(So… do you plan on going back to the wild?) she asked, putting her claws behind her back nervously, as if she knew she was going into a touchy subject.

(Hmm. I could,) she began then hesitated and looked at the sky, (but let's face it. I have no clue where we are. Heck, the forest where we grew up was all I ever knew, and it's not like I'd be able to point it out on a map. I could be oceans away from my home.)

(Oh yeah… I know what you mean) Samantha put a claw behind her head and looked up at the sky as well.

(But truth be told, even if I did know, I wouldn't return. Not just yet,) Samantha turned back to her with curious eyes. (There's something I have to take care of. Before I… no, _we_ can rest peacefully.)

The way she said "we" just made Samantha even more eager to pry. She already knew the grass type was talking about her late friend. A few things ran through her mind but one stood out more than any other else.

(You're not going to go exact revenge are you?!) she blurted out excitedly and a bit worriedly. The Bayleef just blinked at her and started chuckling.

(Hah, well, probably not in the way you are thinking, but it does involve Team… Rocket, was it?) Samantha nodded. (I don't know how, or if, I can ever do it, but I'll sure as hell try.)

(You're still not telling me what you're planning to do?)

(But, of course. I don't know you like that,) the Bayleef teased, tapping the mantis' forehead with her leaf. Samantha lowered her head and dangled her arms in disappointment, (but maybe I can tell you more later.)

(Oh! I have an idea!) she said, raising her head again.

(Oh?)

(Why don't you come back with us? Y'know, be one of Jamie's Pokémon? Having a trainer isn't all that bad.) Samantha smiled, (you'll get a cool nickname and everything!) She was trying to make it seem more appealing, but half-knew nicknames were a turn off to most Pokémon who had the choice to join a trainer, however few those were.

(I'll definitely… think about it) the grass type smiled back. Team Rocket's interference in her life was a big change, so a change in name wouldn't be too bad, she guessed. And like she said, it's not like she could return to her forest home. It's not like there was anything, or anyone, waiting for her there either. Maybe staying with the girl would improve her chances of meeting with Team Rocket again?

--

The hallway was very dimly lit, but Titus has been up and down them enough times to know the exact number of steps before each and every turn. In hand was a tray of food, consisting of soup, pasta, assorted fruit, and a bottle of water. He passed two round windows that let the soft moonlight beam into the airship hallway then made another turn. He was now in the main hallway where Brooke's quarters were. For the past few weeks, Brooke has failed to join them during most of their meal times, so he took it upon himself to deliver them personally to her. She was his partner after all and he couldn't have her in poor health.

He slowly walked up to her door and prepared to knock, but hesitated as he heard a voice from inside. He put an ear to the door softly, and could hear Brooke on the other side.

"Yes, I do plan on tracking her and keeping tabs on her progress," there was a slight pause, "if your power is as it was with the past subjects, then she will be yours either way. Right now, I must make sure I get as much data as possible. The initial serum is running low…"

Titus furrowed his brow and thought about who she could be talking to. Every man and woman on the airship was in the cafeteria and all visitors must check through him before even setting foot on their fortress. What's weirder is that he only heard _her _voice. A private line, perhaps?

"Make more? I see. Then we'll have no problem," she continued, "just tell me where." It fell silent after she had said this. Titus balanced the tray on one palm of his hand and reached for switch that opened Brooke's door. Before he could press the switch, the door slid open and he was left face to face with Brooke herself.

"You didn't come to dinner, so I brought you your meal," he said calmly as if she didn't catch him off guard, which she did. She tilted her head upwards to meet his gaze. He was at least one head taller than she was.

"Thank you," she said indifferently while lowering her eyes to the tray, "just leave it on the table in my room and follow me. I'll return and eat it later" Titus nodded and did so. Within the brief moment in her room, he glanced around. There was no sign of a phone or other device that could make a call.

The two walked silently down the hallway without saying a word to each other. Brooke was walking at a brisk pace, her long raven hair almost flying behind her. She was obviously in a hurry to continue more research and experimentation that she piled on herself.

The two entered the laboratory that held Jamie and the Pokémon just the night before. Most of it was cleaned up, but the containment cells were still in shambles. She approached one of the desks and pulled out a pile of papers.

"Titus, I want you to assign two of our grunts to keep surveillance on our little runaway," she said without looking at him.

"Anyone in particular?"

"No. This task is ridiculously simple, and I'm confident that even our most incompetent cannot screw this up." She slid the papers under her arm and reached into a cabinet to take out a small device with a screen. She pressed a switch on it and the screen lit up. "This will allow them to find her by locking onto the signature of the serum injected into her," she hands him the device, "make sure they know they are to stay out of sight, and to _only _keep tabs on her condition and reactions that may or may not be associated with the serum. I want _all_ reactions."

"Understood," he responded in his usual, serious manner. She walked past him and exited into the hallway. When she was out of sight, he looked down at the beeping device.

"She definitely was not talking to herself…" he murmured, growing suspicious, "something is definitely going on and I'm in the dark." He looked down at the device in his hand then put it in his pocket. "Either way, I need to figure who we can afford to send on this reconnaissance mission."

--

Well ther ya go. Since I've reeeeally wanted to get this part done, I can get to work on some of my other stuff (coughBreezeDeliverServicecough).

Breeze: WUT? Yaaaaay! finally!


	6. Chapter 6 Dancing Dagger

Next chapter. There's another fight scene here. Have fun!

-----------------

Anthony, still clad in the navy blue hoody with the white bird silhouette, strolled down the brightly lit hallway carrying a tray with two covered plates of food. He arrived at the room where they stayed the last couple nights and nudged the door slightly to open it fully. Jamie was free to leave the patient room after she had awoken, so they moved her and all her stuff to the guest trainer room with Darryl and Anthony.

"Hey, Jamie, I brought…" he hesitated when he noticed she wasn't in the room, "breakfast?" He looked around and saw that her unmade bed was empty and that her back pack was gone. He sighed as he wondered where the heck she could have gone. He set the tray down and adjusted his green headband before walking up to the half open window, the morning breeze making the curtains dance in the dim, early sunlight. Squinting his eyes, he could see a couple figures a bit of distance away. "Ah, there she is." He deftly picked up the tray and hustled outside.

--

"Okay, Sammy, do it again for me?" Jamie asked kindly. She was sitting on large rock under the shade of a tree in an open field area of the Pokémon Center's huge garden. Her Scizor, who was standing a bit away in the open, nodded and focused her energies again. As she did so, her claws began to glow faintly then surge with the familiar energy of the steel type Metal Claw. Jamie, with a notebook in hand and donning a pair of reading glasses, quickly began to sketch what she saw. "Now go forward!" she commanded calmly.

"Sciiiii-zor!" Samantha yelled as she dashed forward, striking a tall rock formation with her empowered limb and causing a web of cracks to take residence on its surface.

"Hmmm," the girl hummed as she began taking notes. "It seems the energy stays within her claw when she strikes something, but, if I recall correctly, the energy seems to exit into the target when she grabs onto-"

"Jamie!" called a voice directly beside her, causing her to flinch and almost drop her pencil. She turned her head sharply to her left to see Anthony with the tray carrying the two covered plates.

"Geez! Don't sneak up on me!" she chided, readjusting her reading glasses and trying to calm herself down.

"Sorry, but look!" He removed the cover from one of the plates. "I bring nourishment!" he smiled enthusiastically. Jamie leaned over to look at the steaming dish. There were scrambled eggs, bacon, and three pancakes.

"Oooo awesome! Pancakes!" she yelled happily.

They sat in the shade of the tree and enjoyed their breakfast while silently admiring the scenery. The garden was full of Pokémon, both trainer owned and wild, frolicking around or just plain sunbathing. Samantha was sitting against the opposite side of the tree asleep with her arms crossed. Anthony glanced over at Jamie while munching on a mouthful of eggs. He noticed she was eating rather slowly and that they both had the same amount of food left. That wouldn't be an issue except for the fact Anthony put twice as many pancakes on his plate as she did hers.

"Jamie, what's the matter?" he asks after swallowing.

"Hm? Oh nothing. Just thinking about Samantha's Metal Claw," she responds without looking at him. As quickly as she had left it, she returned to her contemplation.

"What, are you done with Swords Dance training?" he asked, curiously tilting his head.

"Pretty much. I still have one more style I want to experiment with," She raised her fork and spun it around in her fingers. "But right now, I want to turn her Metal Claw into something cool!" she said before clenching the utensil in her fist determinedly. She had that creatively ambitious twinkle in her blue eye. He had definitely missed seeing that while traveling.

Anthony picked up her notebook and gestured as to ask if he could look in it. "Oh, of course!" she smiled. He flipped through the pages, admiring whatever each one brought to his eye. There were sketches of her Shuckle, Core, and his Ledian, Bobby, both in the middle of performing attacks. There were notes under each sketch, but he just skimmed past them. What took up the most pages were the sketches of Samantha. These ones intrigued him the most and he actually took his time to read the neatly written captions.

"Woah, seems like you expanded her skills a bit," he said while still scanning the pages with his eyes.

"Yeah. She can use Swords Dance six different ways," she gloated with a triumphant smirk. He nearly choked when she said six.

"Six?!"

"You sound surprised. I told you before you left that I had some ideas," she responded blandly before putting a forkful of pancake in her mouth. Then they both bearly fell backwards as they heard a voice from above them.

"You say your Scizor can do Swords Dance six different ways?" They both looked up and Darryl fell from the sky, landing on his feet. Unlike Anthony, he was dressed in an open, navy blue, denim jacket that showed a white tee shirt underneath and tight jeans of similar color to his jacket. Jamie quickly looked to her left and to her right.

"Where'd you come from?" she asked in a slightly annoyed tone. His large Pidgeot soon landed right behind him, kicking up a cloud of dust with its wings.

"Hey, hey! We're trying to eat here!" Anthony yelled.

"Oooo pancakes!" Darryl said as he quickly swiped one off Anthony's plate and took a bit out of it.

"_Excuse_ me, that was mine!"

"So back to that Swords Dance. Lemme see!" the turquoise haired boy demanded, completely ignoring the blonde and pointing his finger outward into Jamie's face. She swatted his hand away defiantly.

"Alright I'll show you," she said, rising to her feet and putting her glasses into her bag, "but next time you put your hand in my face, you might end up with only nine fingers." Jamie walked around the large base of the tree and saw Samantha sleeping on her side, curled up in the fetal position. "Hey, Sam-eeee, wake up." The crimson Pokémon woke up abruptly and shifted to her upright position before looking at her trainer with sleepy eyes.

--

The trio moved to a more open area covered in short grass that danced with the morning breeze. Jamie and Darryl stood facing each other with an expanse of field in between, ready for battle. Their Pokémon stood in front of their respective trainers, poised and ready. Anthony sat with his legs sprawled out on the grass between the two combatants and off to the side to observe the battle. Bobby buzzed from over the hill and plopped himself down next to his trainer.

"Alrighty, I'll be using Kira here," Darryl said loud enough for Jamie to hear.

"That's a huge Pidgeot! What have you been feeding it?" she asked, finally taking the time to notice Kira's size.

"Food!" Darryl responded.

"Smart ass!"

"Whatever! Let's get started!" Darryl smiled. "Show me what you've got!"

Jamie sighed, already growing nervous. Battling was never her strong point. She glanced over to where Anthony was sitting. He had a hand on his stomach, contently digesting his breakfast. He finished all his food and whatever was left of hers that she didn't feel like eating. He's such a glutton. He looked over to her and gave a reassuring thumbs-up. She smiled back at him, a bit of her anxiety melting away, and turned back toward her opponent, whose Pidgeot had already taken to the air on its massive wings.

"Okay, Sammy, let's show what you can do!" she cheered. The Scizor nodded and raised its gaze to the bird Pokémon above her. Her wings flared out of her back and she leapt into the air, beating them rapidly. She met the Pidgeot at the same height level then swiped her claws, as if to intimidate her foe and psych herself up.

(I've been anxious to go up against you,) Kira said, (best of luck to you!)

(Good luck to you to-)

"Kira, Wing Attack!" Darryl's voice commanded while Samantha was in mid sentence. Kira vanished before bashing her left wing into the steel-type while flying by, causing her to flip through the air.

(Hey! Cheap shot!) Samantha lamented as she regained her balance. She rubbed the cheek that was hit by the attack.

(Just following orders! You know how it is!) Kira cawed as she began to turn around for another attack. This time, however, Samantha was ready. She locked her sight on the speeding Pidgeot. As she flew by, the Scizor bent backwards, safely ducking under her opponent, then quickly rolled to her right with her claw outstretched and bashed the bird in her side. The counter attack jarred Kira, but she quickly recovered.

"Nice job!" Jamie cheered. She watched as the two Pokémon regained their original postures in the air. "Now throw out an Air Slash!" The crimson mantis brought both claws behind her then swung them both forward to send a blade of wind towards her opponent.

"Dodge it and send one back her way!" Darryl yelled whilst pointing a finger for emphasis. Kira deftly avoided the incoming blade then forcefully flapped her wings to blow her own Air Slash back at Samantha, except hers was bigger!

Jamie saw the large attack flying towards her companion. She knew Samantha could easily dodge it, but saw it as an excellent opportunity to test the first and most basic form of Samantha's Swords Dance. "Alright Sammy, Swords Dance: Quick Spin!" Samantha nodded then readied herself by twisting her body as the blade sped toward her. She had to time it just right.

Closer… Closer… Now!

She did one quick rotation in place, her claw deflecting the attack with no problems. "Excellent!" Jamie applauded, "now for technique two! Swords Dance: Scarlet Drill!"

"Scarlet Drill?" Anthony repeated to himself, "that's a new one." He sat up and leaned forward, focusing all his attention on the Scizor. Samantha started flying full speed towards the Pidgeot and began spinning rapidly, essentially turning into a red drill like in her previous bout with Titus' Skarmory.

"Woah, watch out for that!" Darryl coached. Kira rolled to the side as the Scizor flew by in its seemingly deadly spin. The attack stopped some distance away. The way Jamie and Samantha used Swords Dance offensively impressed all of them. "Now that was a nice move! Now hit it with an Aerial Ace!" Right when he finished his command, Kira had already vanished from sight and was positioned behind Samantha, flying full force. Samantha quickly spun like before, deflecting some of the damage of the impact, and sent both Pokémon staggering backwards through the air.

"Eeep!" Jamie yelped. Everything happened too fast for her, but the Scizor's quick reflex lessened what could have been a felling blow due to the sheer size and strength of her opponent.

"Hm. That one took Jamie by surprise. Don't you agree, Bobby?" Anthony observed, turning to his companion.

"Ledian," Bobby responded, nodding its head with both sets of arms crossed.

"Samantha took initiative that time, but Jamie has to make sure she can keep up with the battle. She's got to work on that." The two observers turned their full attention back to the battle where the combatants were classically exchanging flyby blows in the air above them, neither one of them seeming to give in as the duo repeatedly clashed against each other. Samantha's a tough cookie, but Kira has more power on her side. Hopefully the Scizor's steel exterior balances that out.

(What's going on here?) a voice quietly inquired behind Bobby. The Ledian turned around to see the Bayleef that was rescued alongside Jamie. (Any particular reason they are fighting?)

(Oh, hey,) he responded, (You're looking a lot better. A lot more green.)

(Thanks, I'm feeling much better, too) the grass type said as she laid next to him.

(This is just a test of strength, just a friendly Pokémon battle.)

(Ah, I see.) She's heard about them from other Pokémon in the forest, but has never actually witnessed or been in one herself. That's only partially true if you don't count fighting for your life against things that want to eat you out in the wild.

(I must say, you are quite the worthy opponent!) Kira complemented. She was looking battered, but she still appeared to be high in energy. Samantha, however, was panting. Her metallic body was scuffed and scratched every which way. She was beginning to tire.

With slight difficulty, Samantha returned the praise, (Huff, you're… really strong too… Huff,) She took the momentary lapse to try to catch her breath. It wasn't going to last long, though.

Darryl clenched his fists and donned an excited grin. "Now this is a battle I can sink my teeth into! Alright, take it down with Twister!" The large avian reared back its enormous wings and began to forcefully flap them. Air circulated around its wings before forming into a humongous funnel of wind headed right in Samantha's direction.

"Oh boy… Sam, defend yourself with Swords Dance, Bugsy style!" Jamie shouted the command, but Samantha seemed already halfway into performing it. How she named it already hinted to Anthony how it was going to look. She began spinning rapidly with claws outstretched in constantly changing angles. The funnel hit her forcefully, but the momentum of her spin was blocking most of her attack.

"Kira, keep it going!" the turquoise haired trainer commanded. Kira kept up fine with her powerful flapping to keep the funnel going. Samantha kept spinning and deflecting the wind. With a roar, Kira flapped her wings with more force, greatly increasing the power of the Twister. The crimson Pokémon's spin began to slow before being completely knocked out of it and sent to the ground.

"Ah! No! Sammy, are you alright?" Jamie yelled, her voice full of concern. Samantha slowly rose to her feet, ignoring the wear on her body. She looked up at her opponent with determined eyes. Jamie returned her gaze back to the Pidgeot who now seemed to show signs of tiring after her attack. "Hmm," Jamie hummed as she brought a hand to her chin, "I think we're going to have to use a more difficult technique." The Scizor agreed and changed her posture to a more upright one. The Scizor took a deep breath as she began to concentrate without taking her eyes off her airborne opponent.

Darryl noticed her change in stance but didn't think anything of it. "Let's wrap it up! Fly down there and take it out!" Kira flew upwards then dived back down right towards Samantha with a white streak of light trailing behind her.

"Now! Swords Dance: Illusion Step!" Jamie quickly commanded. The name of the technique caught Darryl's attention and made him focus more attentively on her Scizor. She closed her eyes and began spinning once again. This time, she spun rather slowly and more gracefully, as if she were actually dancing. He focused harder on her and noticed something didn't seem quite right, but he was confident in his attack. Kira flew nearly perpendicular to the ground and drew closer at an astonishing speed, but the target didn't falter and kept up its strange movements. It appeared to be a direct hit, but something went awry.

The Scizor vanished right before the impact.

Eyes widening in surprise, the Pidgeot opened her wingspan to bring her attack to a halt and regain altitude in fear of a counterattack. "Wait, what?" Darryl exclaimed in surprise. He and his Pokémon eyed the battlefield and found Samantha doing those same movements in a different location! "There it is!" he pointed. Kira quickly dove into another attack. The results were the same. The Scizor just seemed to vanish as if she was not there. Kira turned her head and found the Scizor in yet another location, still dancing.

(Hmm, what manner of Swords Dance is this? It's vaguely reminiscent of a Double Team,) the Pidgeot deduced. (This requires further observation.) Her trainer seemed to agree as he called out another command to attack head on. The Pidgeot quickly approached the peculiar target as Jamie raised her arm and pointed her finger in the air.

"Okay! Now triple step!" she commanded. The Scizor seemed to effortlessly split into three translucent, identical copies! The Pidgeot stopped its assault to flap in place and nervously shift its gaze between each spinning apparition. Each Scizor seemed to constantly flicker in and out of existence.

(This… is quite unlike a Double Team,) Kira thought as she continued alternating her attention to each form, (I can usually sense the presence of where my opponent is, but I'm feeling something from each and every copy!)

"Hey, Jamie! What kind of attack is this!?" Darryl yelled from across the field. Jamie only smirked confidently.

"Sorry, I'm not revealing my secrets until _after_ the match!" she teased with her hands on her hips. Off to the side, Anthony and his Ledian quietly appreciated the ingenuity of their friends. Quite an interesting sight it was, but the blonde trainer was noticing something that wasn't in Jamie's favor. However, she was brimming with excitement, knowing her techniques were actually working in real combat. "Samantha, now for another new one! Swords Dance: Dancing Daggers!" she commanded with a swing of her arm.

"Huh!?" Darryl exclaimed as the three visions of his opponent quickly converged behind his Pokémon before either of them could react. Samantha then proceeded to dance around Kira and repeatedly strike her foe with her claws, alternating between blunt swings and quick slashes. After her slew of attacks, Samantha finished her combo with a powerful cross slash. The finisher knocked the Pidgeot back but she stopped itself with her sharp talons and brought her wings to a resting position.

(_Very_ impressive. Your repertoire of attacks doesn't fail to disappoint,) Kira said while brushing herself off with one wing. She was awaiting a response, but it remained silent. She diverted her attention back to her opponent. The Scizor stood still for a second before falling forward to the ground, much to the Pidgeot's surprise.

"What happened?" Jamie asked, confusion washing over her face. She ran up to her Pokémon and kneeled down to turn her over and hold her head up. It seemed that Samantha had fainted. Judging from how her eyes swirled, she was really dizzy, too. Anthony got up and ran up toward her with Bobby and the Bayleef hovering not far behind. He approached her side and put a hand on her shoulder before seeing that she didn't look to be too upset. Jamie looked like she was in deep thought.

"You alright?" he asked.

"Yes. I kind of figured I lose. I mean, really, look at the size of that Pidgeot!" she said, pointing to the Pokémon across from them. The Pidgeot just cocked its head with a confused look.

"I guess using all those attacks took too much out of her."

"Yea… I guess," she responded, still in thought.

"She started to get tired halfway through the match. Did you notice?"

Jamie turned her head to him. "No, she seemed to be doing really well." She was surprised that she didn't catch that.

"Sam tends to not show her fatigue, so you need to try to notice when she's tired," Anthony added with a smile. He had a better eye for checking a combatant's stamina. Jamie nodded and turned her gaze back to her dizzy Pokémon.

"I'm guessing we need to work using Swords Dance a little less to avoid getting dizzy, too!" she chuckled. Illusion Step and Dancing Daggers always made Samantha tired during training, so she figured at that point that it wasn't a very smart move of her to use them in succession during the battle. On top of that, she couldn't decipher her Pokémon's condition throughout the battle. She still had quite a bit to learn as a trainer.

--

Samantha slowly opened her eyes only to be greeted by the blinding rays of the noon sun. She raised a claw to shield her face from the light and was able to make out the three figures standing over her to be Kira, Bobby, and the Bayleef. She tried to raise herself to her upright position, but was hindered by dizziness and the pounding in her head.

(Oof, I think I overdid it,) Samantha said, putting a claws over her head to try to soothe the pain.

(Well, yeah, all you did was spin around,) Bobby chuckled.

(Heck, you made _me_ dizzy just from watching all of that spinning,) the Bayleef added.

(You did very well!) Kira complemented, (your ingenuity shows in you techniques, no doubt.)

(Thanks. I haven't used them in real battle, though. Until today, that is,) Samantha replied, rising to her feat. She took a quick look around and saw that the humans were nowhere to be found. (Hey, where'd Jamie and the others go?)

(Ah, they retired back to the center,) Kira said while pointing a wing to the Pokémon Center.

(Alright, cool) she replied in gratitude. With a short leap, she was hovering towards the center. The other three Pokémon watched as she drew further away.

(She's quite fond of that Jamie, hm?) the Pidgeot said. Bobby crossed his arms and nodded.

(Yep. Sam's like her guardian angel).

(Hm, good for her, then.)

The Bayleef's mind drifted back to the time before she was first captured, back in the forest with her best friend. (Yeah… It's really nice to have someone like that,) she whispered sadly.

Samantha located the window to the trainer's guest room and deftly flew through it. The teenagers took momentary notice of her arrival before returning to what they were talking about.

"Okay, now spill, what was with the whole spinny-disappear-y thingy you did?" Darryl questioned with curious eyes that could rival those of a four year old.

"Alright, it's basically a technique similar to Agility. I use Samantha's high speed to move rapidly back and forth between several points at a pace that's hard to see for most. At the same time, she moves strangely in her Swords Dance at the same time to throw off her opponent. The combination of her speed and grace gives it an illusory feel, even thought there are no actual doubles, and her constant motion gives her complete readiness to dodge in nearly any direction," Jamie explained. "Although, I'm guessing it wouldn't work too well on Pokémon with really fast eyes or better senses. It worked on your Pidgeot with those Keen Eyes, so I'm guessing we're in pretty good shape against several opponents." She grinned confidently. S

"Hmph, sounds like a bunch of BS," Darryl commented cynically.

"Hey, whatever works. I just have to train Samantha to not get so dizzy and exhausted after using it." She sat herself on the bottom bunk next to Anthony then leaned back to lie down.

"So you're feeling a lot better now?" he asked while leaning over her.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Her gaze trailed down to the white silhouette on the hoodie her friend was donning. "Ah! Now I have questions for _you _guys!" The boys just blinked before realizing they had quite a bit of explaining to do. She sat up and bombarded them with several questions involving team rocket, how they found her, and what was with the signature navy blue hoodies they both possessed. Anthony certainly did not own it when he left Azalea, which she was sure of.

"Uhm, where to begin?" Anthony said.

"I got this," Darryl said as he grabbed a seat. "First off, have you heard of the White Sky Faction?" Jamie shook her head. "Hm, thought so. Azalea's a small town. I don't think we have a base there. Well, anyways, the WSF is a group of enforcers started by an ambitious Officer Jenny after the whole Radio Tower fiasco involving Team Rocket a while ago. Their main purpose was to keep peace and prevent any further takeovers. At first, it was a small group that worked only inside Goldenrod, but it soon expanded to many towns and cities and eventually spanned the other regions to stop any similar activities."

"So it's like an Anti-Team Rocket organization?" Jamie asked.

"Sort of. Team Rocket is one of the Faction's main rivals, but they try to combat anything illegal they come across," Anthony added.

"Hey! No interrupting!" Darryl cleared his throat. "Now where was I? Even though it is basically a branch of law enforcement, a lot of those who work in it are volunteers. Trainers who want to assist in stopping organizations such as Team Rocket accompany main officers, such as myself, on missions if they are deemed skilled enough. That is how I ended up meeting this big lug." Darryl pointed to Anthony with his thumb.

"Yeah, while I was in Goldenrod, I got mixed up with Darryl who was chasing down a robber."

Jamie's face lit up with interest. "Oh? How did that go?"

"Uhm…" Anthony put a hand behind his head and blushed a bit, "rather quickly… The robber ran right into me and we both ended up knocked out in the middle of the street."

"Definitely made _my_ job easier," Darryl chuckled.

"Well that figures," Jamie said while playfully rolling her eyes.

"So yeah, right after that, Darryl dragged me to one of the basses and briefed me about everything. I decided to volunteer whenever hands were needed. I went on a couple small Pokémon rescue missions before I left to Ecruteak and after winning the badge there, I got the urgent call about someone being abducted from Azalea. I bet you can figure that was you."

"Yeah… not my best moment," she said, drooping her head.

"But you definitely have some guts to go against the Deadly Duo, Titus and Brooke, without much battle experience. Those two are a couple of the big bads that we are trying to take down," Darryl complemented, "we could definitely use more trainers with that kind of courage on our side." His praise made Jamie's face glow with pride, but it quickly left as she reexamined what he just said.

"I got in over my head. It wasn't a smart move to fight them by myself and it was mainly because I couldn't stand back while they were trying to hurt Sam and the other Pokémon in the forest," she said gloomily. Anthony placed a hand on hers and gave her a reassuring smile. She looked back up to the turquoise haired boy. "What makes them so wanted, by the way? Er, other than the fact they are part of Team Rocket?"

"Let's just say they mean business. They are cold, calculating, and prepared for most anything that comes their way. That's why we haven't taken them down yet. To add onto that, Brooke falls into the "mad scientist" category. She keeps some of the Pokémon they pilfer to herself and tests all sorts of things on them. We've raided several of their previous bases. Much to our disappointment, they escape or plain fight their way out. The two are powerful trainers in their own right. Titus specializes in Steel types and Brooke favors Ice types." Jamie recalls back to her encounter with them. The Skarmory, Magneton, and Cloyster she went up against definitely fit those types. "Behind them, we find Pokémon that haven't survived whatever the hell she does to them." Fear grips Jamie and she moves her hands up to her chest. "We can only assume what she is striving for, because she never leaves behind anything to give a clue to what she does besides the deceased Pokémon."

"Can't you guys find out by examining the bodies?" Jamie asked nervously.

"We did. Early on, we found several different poisons and other harmful substances, but lately, the bodies are giving no clue at all. That's what's really worrying the higher ups of the WSF. Now, they have a flying fortress filled to the brim with security and rocket grunts. Any large scale attack will easily be put down."

"You _did_ successfully rescue me, though."

"Yeah, but that was just it, infiltrate and rescue. We can sneak in with a small force, but a couple teenagers like me and blondie can't take down an entire airship chock full of rocket grunts. It was also made possible because we have someone on the inside giving up intel on their location and a few floor mappings. The only one who knows who it is mo- ehm, the Commanding Jenny."

"Ah… I see." Jamie took a deep breath. It's quite a lot to take in. She was abducted by an evil scientist? Did she want to experiment on _humans_ as well? What if Core and Samantha were subject to whatever she was doing?! She shook her head to get rid of such scary thoughts. "Oof, that's a whole bunch of mess."

"It's crazy stuff. Now we need to focus on getting you home." Anthony said. "We have quite a few things to do before we leave tomorrow."

-----

Hopefully I didn't make the fight scene too confusing :O Hope to hear from you guys!


End file.
